


The Root of Your Fear

by meupclose



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Batdad, Body Horror, Canon Typical Violence, Case Fic, Death and Dying, Disturbing thoughts, Drug Use, Joker things will get violent, Loss of Control, M/M, Minor Character Death, Panic Attacks, Smut is in two chapters, Twisted Reality, Worried Bruce, its dark but there's some nice jaytim fluff to soften it, mentions of torture, new take on canon things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2018-08-13 11:01:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 42,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7974421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meupclose/pseuds/meupclose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"What is the Root of Your Fear-- Jason Todd?"</p><p>Jason coming back to life had ruined Joker's initial plans. It's been five years since that moment, and Joker has established a game for Jason to endure. There are many pieces to his elaborate puzzle, leading the family down the wrong paths and igniting heated arguements between them in perfect design. Jason realizes that he's always been destined to die. That no matter he rose from the grave there is a clock ticking down to remind him of what was meant to be. Jason caught up in his head makes some terrible choices leading to a final showdown with the clown. </p><p>"Maybe I am always meant to die in this story Timmy,"<br/>Tim greatly disagrees.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This idea has been stuck in my head after reading most of the pre-crisis Batman that I bought at Comic Con. Haha I have enjoyed the New 52 elements, (and rebirth is amazing!!) as all things written in general make me excited involving my bat family. It's a mix of canon cause whatever! Lol Even fanfiction for these two dorks. I didn't mean to ship them! I have no idea where it came from, but I am a sucker for Tim's brilliance, and Jason's hot headed behavior. I cherish the idea of redemption so the fact Jason is in Gotham trying to do it Bruce's way is really important to me. 
> 
> The story will set the stage for what is happening to Jason, and Jokers plans for Gotham. It will be entirely from his POV for the most part, third person past tense. I have no one beta reading this, so I'm just going to post this as often as I can. My kids are back in school and I have a little free time in the early afternoons now! YAY. Please comment!! I'd love your feedback. (I am going to attempt a few chapters a week! If there's more interest I'll up the timeframe Muah!)

It was nights like tonight that made him feel small. Not that it wasn't challenging to see Earth for it's minuscule place in the universe with jumping ship with Starfire and Arsenal to other worlds all together. But it was the consuming reality that what, or more who he was looking at from the shattered window in Gotham Bank that made Jason Todd realize there would be no running from his past. That he was but a small little blimp on the radar of time and space. He'd never be able to move forward. Not when the main event was alive. Breathing out a wheezing, horrifying laugh four steps away.

"JOKER!" Jason lifted both his guns, bracing for impact from a wide swipe of a bat from a rabbit faced goon. His stomach flipped in fear he wished he could rid all together from his body. Each pulse from his frantic heart only made him irrational, and incredibly angry. Before he could contemplate why he was here robbing some bank. Red Hood dove to the side spray of bullets obliterating the center isle. Sending bits of papers into the air. People screamed and scurried away.

"Red Hood stand down--" Batman's voice filled the comm in his helmet. Jason snarled, shooting off a few rounds into the knee caps of three of the henchmen. Bounding up against the railing of the front desk before landing a hard kick into the man wielding the shot gun. The shot still went off, bits of the spread cutting into his exposed areas of forearm, and scratched the red off his helmet in two lines.

"Kinda busy protecting all these people. Send backup--" Jason chimed with a caught snarl when he looked up and saw Joker running away.

"Nightwing is four minutes out. Do not pursue. Let Nightwing intercept, come back to the cave immediately..."

Jason slid to a stop. Time doing a warped motion that made him feel like he wasn't hearing anything correctly. Another bubble of something nasty, and fearful to the outcome this all was leading towards soured his belly. Made him clench his hands into tight fists. Feeling hatred consume.

"You are being serious? I..." The Joker stopped when he stopped. Now up on an alleyway, waving a flower back and forth in a teased position. His painted smile, and dead skinned face made Jasons' heart flutter at the angle they were faced at. He closed his eyes only briefly. Feeling the world shift and bend to another memory...another place he couldn't succumb to while on the field.

"Your vitals are elevated Hood. STAND DOWN! Retreat--"

"He's right above me--" Jason heard a frustrated release of breath through the comm's. Not entirely realizing his voice had sounded so deep in coursing anger. He will never stand above me again. 

"Nightwing is one minute out, I am five. Stall--"

"Joker! Come on old friend. Why not come down and try this hand to hand," Jason holstered his guns, lifting his empty palms as if that would prove he didn't have a weapon when they both knew it was far from the truth. Joker waved his finger back and forth, breaking the flower and sent the petals down below. Jason dived out of the way before the small explosives hit the ground. Each one only providing Jason cover to grab the edge of a window and hull himself up to the fire escape.

He chased him up to the roof, landing on the gravel with a crunch of combat boots...only for...

"What?" he looked around, Nightwing landing silently next to him.

"Where is he?" Came the rougher voice of Nightwing over Grayson's cheerfulness.

"Did you see him?" Jason ran to the side of the building, flipping his night vision on his helmet and heat signatures to find someone running but came up empty. Dick ran to the other side, looking as well, but it seemed the Joker had vanished.

"DAMMIT! He was right there! If Batman hadn't paused my original run I would have had him before he hit the roof!" Dick scowled at Jason's attempt to blame Batman, folded his arms not looking impressed.

"You disobeyed orders,"

"Oh! Thank the stars! Boy Wonder is here!" Jason walked up on the side lip of the building, throwing his arms out in his performances release of left over anger. "So glad you are here Nightwing-- swooping in to save the day. Well--" his comm crackled and a soft spoken voice filled his helmet interrupting his rant.

"Hood-- Can you get away from Nightwing? I need your assistance," Tim asked in a whisper. Jason froze only a second, thankful his entire face was hidden so he didn't give anything away. 

"Yeah you know what? Fuck you both-- after all this time you guys still don't trust me! I am not staying around to talk to Bats--" he jumped off the building, grabbing a lower rail and leaped to the lower building. Dick was right behind him though. Landing close enough to grab his arm. Jason punched his face.

"Dammit Hood! It's not even about that!" Dick grabbed his jaw, but held up his hands to keep Jason from pouncing him. "Your vitals have been off all week. The last thing we need is you going off the rails running into a trigger like Joker when you have been apart of this team without well-- incident." Jason could visually see Tim's eye roll. A barely registered chuckle filled his comm.

"I'm going to make a small explosion near you, take the chance to run south. There is a bike there-- get on it," Jason grinned at Tim's commands, feeling himself relax and enjoy the split lip on Nightwing.

"So you're saying you are still in town because of me? Keeping an eye on the lunatic brother? I'm flattered--" The explosion startled him even with warning, Jason almost missing his chance to get away. He leapt quickly over the railing, falling down a few stories before wall jumping into the alleyway. The bike was there as promised with the ignition on. Jason hopped on and took off down the street.

"Babybird what is this about? Are you on their team too just taking a more tactical approach? Always the planning with you--" Tim laughed. The sound seemed relaxed, Jason could picture his feet up on the desk with the laptop balanced on his hips.

"Maybe-- your vitals were worrisome, come home. I want to run some tests,"  
"Did you patrol?" Jason asked while the wind flapped through his jacket.  
"Yes, I was monitoring the bank heist right when I got in, but the angle was tough in the cameras. I didn't even see Joker until you said it."

"Then you got worried? Daddy Bats is going to give me a lecture next time I'm in the cave," Jason didn't want to think about that. Instead focusing on calming himself down, not having realized how frantic his heart had been beating. The ball of anxiety from seeing the Joker had settled into an angry burn. But it has surfaced non the less. All his training and seeing that freak still instilled old behaviors in him. It was frustrating--

"I have theories to what happened. I just wish I had been closer than Nightwing..." Tim seemed upset about that, Jason's safe house wasn't too far from their location but it was still a seven minute over the roof flight. Dick probably was heading there to intercept him. Sucks to be him. The bike gave him a chance to be at Tim's in four minutes.

"I'll be right up--" He closed the comm's, sliding the bike into a safe place near the dumpsters around back of the building. He scaled up through the backyard fence, and walked into a run down shed. Turning the right tools creaked open a Wayne funded bunker door. Jason walked down the stairs, releasing the valve on his Hood to pull it from his sweating head.

"I think you had a panic attack," came Tim's voice from the grated walkway. He was half out of uniform, his shirt having been rolled down around his hip bones and was primarily shirtless. Jason made note that Tim seemed genuinely concerned. Noticing small frown lines around his bright crystalline eyes, with the subtle sharper inhale in worry.

"That seems quite normal sounding to me-- and anything normal is a plus in my book being that I rose from the dead..." Jason grinned to break the tension, wrapping his fingers behind Tim's neck and brushed a soft, sweet kiss to his cheek before striding past him to open the elevator that took them up to the penthouse. Tim stood next to him in the elevator. Folding his arms across his exposed chest, the utility belt hung at an angle against his thigh giving him a cowboy appearance that Jason was suddenly distracting his mind with visuals of.

"Eyes up here Hood," Jason lifted his eyes towards Tim's face over his handsome frame.

"Did you take the elevator down to meet me because you secretly like making out in elevators babybird?" Tim snickered, not making a move from his place on the wall though parted his legs to hook his hip against the railing to further stretch his lean, sculpted body out. Jason took the two steps into his space, properly kissing him. They both scented like Gotham. Grime and dirt clung to their skin, a few bloody lines to Jason's forearms with gun power dusted into his jacket. The mixture made them both hum in pleasure to all their lives were.

"Maybe--" Tim admitted once they parted, pressing his face against Jason's chest to listen to his heartbeat.

"I'm still ticking..." Jason mumbled into his hair, the elevator lurched before the doors beeped open.

"I just needed to hear it, that's all," Jason's hand was grabbed and the boys walked into the Penthouse. No one would think Jason was here. It was easy to hide in plain sight when he had someone as brilliant as Tim on his side. He was constantly monitoring his location like the stalker he always will be. Jason didn't mind. With his small break from the Outlaws he wanted someone to ground him. If Tim hadn't asked him over for breakfast that day he didn't think any of this would have happened.

"You can be a real sap you know. Did they take care of those people at the bank? I didn't exactly tie them up," Jason asked, moving towards the big computers to pull up the cameras. Tim nodded, pointing to the police having arrived just a few minutes after. Good. He didn't need all this to blow up any worse.

"Bruce has been monitoring your vitals more closely that he'd admit. I piggybacked off whatever he has hooked up in your helmet sending the signal. I think they were telling the truth though Jason-- I think they are worried about you." Jason scuffed, tugging off his jacket, and straps to his armor.

"Whatever-- they always do a piss poor job of it. I don't need a baby sitter. The fact Dick has been hanging around Gotham when he has other places to be is ridiculous. I am not worth all this trouble--" He pulled his shirt off, tossing it into a basket. The bloody lines from the shrapnel reopened from the movement. Tim handed him some antiseptic.

"All week your vitals keep spiking while you are patrolling. We don't' necessarily have the evidence of your previous episodes after the pit. But even your stubbornness can't deny that something is wrong."

"I'm fine--" Jason shoved past him quite harshly, but Tim gripped his wrist. Tugging him back into his space, and planted the rough edge of his palm right over the scar on his chest.

"Last time you lost it Jason I almost died-- I forgave you. But Bruce? He can't lose us. Any of us. And the fact you put that possibility into the mix is why he's acting like this. Please take some time off--" Jason's hazel eyes narrowed on the rough scar right near Tim's heart, and neck. It was like being doused in cold water. Jason's pupils dilating, his mind slipping back into places he'd rather not be.

"Hey," Tim's hands cradled his face, catching along the day old scruff. "You with me babe?" The stupid nickname broke the spell and cracked a smile on Jason's lips, a huffed laugh making his eyes lower to the ground and take a better step into Tim's immediate space. To wrap him up against his chest-- to feel something so nice. 

"I'll take off next week, but that's it. This might just be me now ya know? What then? I'm not hanging up the Hood. Also-- fuck you for getting your way. Was that Bruce's plan all along?" Tim laughed into his neck, pulling back from their hug to shake his head.

"No, but I might try to cash in on some favors I need because my plan was the one that worked. I don't lie to you Jason-- about anything. You trust me right? Even with all this background stuff happening?"

Jason's heart tightened in adoration that he clearly didn't want to show on his face but was quickly realizing his failure as the sly smirk on Tim's pretty mouth curved upward. A blush regretfully hit the back of his neck, and the vigilante turned with a playful wave to dismiss how much he really cared about Tim's trust and approval. 

"I love you too!" Tim shouted after him, Jason's laugh responded from the shower.

 


	2. Chapter Two

It wasn't right. 

Jason didn't deserve anything nice in this world. He was a killer-- a body count he refused to actually tally up when all his family knew the number by heart. Bruce would forever be waiting in the shadows for the day he added one more. To strike a notch to earn justification for Jason Todd to be dragged to Arkham Asylum. He's had dreams about the cage they'd put him in there. He's never told anyone how black it is. The walls pitch darkness bleeding onto the floor and ceiling in a way that provided no light. It smothered him. Burned him from the inside out. And every time it would morph. Crawling out of a grave, or taking a gasping breath from the Lazarus Pit so it didn't fill his lungs. 

Yeah. Jason didn't do sleep well. Never did. Not as a child when a cardboard box was better living then watching his ma high in bed. Even worse now if he was honest. But he found excuse currently to slumber-- or attempt too. The warmth, and solid form wrapped around his back. Gentle yet powerful hands lingered just slipped inside his boxers.  A steady agreement held if he was trying to sleep-- so would he. Jason wasn't keeping his end of the bargain up. Morning light teased under the curtains. Everyone else in Gotham were heading to work while the vigilantes slept what hours they could. So lost to his thoughts he didn't realize Tim had awoken. Only when a cold nose brushed into his spine did he come back. 

"You keep doing that. Does your head hurt?" Tim asked sleepily, throat deep in resonation, and triggered after in a wide yawn. Jason didn't say anything. Because no. _He was fine._ That was his story and he was sticking too it. He appreciated their concerns, and worries but it was the last thing he needed. They already tip-toed around him. He's already caused enough to make them wary. They can't have that too. His family can't always have an excuse to be an arms length away from him. The freak. The Robin who... Tim tightened his arms around Jason's middle like he heard his thoughts. 

"I'm going to get up," Jason shuffled up slowly as to not tear the warmth keeping him grounded when he got in his head. He threaded his fingers with Tim's, kissing each one to make up for his failure to rest. Tim yawned again, but also got up. Scooting to the edge of the bed so he had a better chance of looking at Jason's eyes that were distant, dilated again without his awareness.

"Jason, I'm serious-- does your head hurt? You seem out of it." Tim reached over and grabbed his phone off the night stand, pulling up the flashlight and shined it right into Jason's face. He winced, but Tim didn't seem happy with the results of his pupils. A small furrow met his lips into a frown. 

"We should go to the cave like Bruce suggested," Jason pushed up, staggering only in fatigue and waved him off. Tim didn't make to pursue, but Tim was probably the worlds greatest detective. If anyone would figure out what was going on with his broken self-- it was him.

Jason listened. He even behaved. Stayed indoors. Was lazy for a change and watched all the Harry Potter's in a marathon with twenty hot pockets to his name. But when that week marker came in he was suiting up and gone from the Penthouse without a goodbye to Tim who had been caught up at Wayne Enterprises for a late meeting. Nightfall this time of year held a brisk chill to it. He ran his usual rounds in his turf. Mostly letting certain snitches he knew would blab about seeing him roaming about-- catch a quick eye. Sometimes the looming threat of a run in with Red Hood made those creeps stay home. Jason broke up a handful of small time issues before the night really settled into Gotham. This was the witching hour. Two-thirty am to four. Jason was perched on a nearby building with a pair of binoculars. The ships were only bringing in the usual goods tonight but it didn't hurt to keep an eye on who was working. He took a level of pride to knowing a lot of people's names and where they lived, and worked. It made for good scare tactics if he needed information. The best snitches were ones who thought you knew all about their dirty secrets. 

"Hey--" he turned at the sounded swift landing behind him nearly assuming it was Tim, but nothing was there. He pulled out his knife, lowering his body into a more defensive position. 

"Bad person to sneak up on-- I will break your ribs on accident if I sneeze you know," he rolled behind cover, pressing the leather of his coat tightly to the cold metal. He could hear footsteps so he stilled. Mapping their movements. Realizing how unfamiliar they sounded. _Dammit._ Fine. Jason stood up, throwing his knife right where he anticipated their location. The cloaked person blocked it with a well placed strike of their sword. The others surrounded him dramatically, and some what strategically. Four different weapons were now in his face. Jason sighed. Having flashbacks to his time with the All Caste.

"Still bad for you," he struck out at the closest gun, twisting it perfectly to aim a hit right at the middle of another. Their armor absorbed the shot, but blasted them back a few feet from the hard kick Jason followed up with. Using the momentum he collided an elbow into another's ear, shattering the cartilage on impact and dislodging their comm. Jason took that as a strong win. Still holding the gun under his arm, he turned to come face to face with the other cloaked figure. 

"You can't see it-- but I'm smiling real pretty at you," he collide his helmet into their face, breaking the bone to their nose. Blood splattered everywhere, but the guy didn't go down. Releasing the gun to throw strategic punches at Jason's ribs. He took two, then delivered a hard up-cut under their jaw, twisting sideways to grip the back of their head and throw them towards another. They were all down, slowing getting back up while Jason took a few steps back. Hand cocky and waving in the air, a wide smirk hidden under the hood. 

"Well come on, don't leave empty handed. You want me--  _come get me_ ," he rolled to the side, dislodging a knife from his boot to throw it at the closest shoulder his eyes took sights on. The blade went right through, Jason spinning in midair to kick the handle of the weapon into a crate to keep them there. Shifting his weight once more on the ground, he took a brutal hit to the helmet, but the person shook their hand in their regrets to that move. Jason's ears were ringing however, 

"Rude and stupid," he grabbed the guys hurt wrist, breaking the bones and ground them in his hand until he twisted his shoulder out of socket as well. He shoved a blade against his back to gain full control, the other two staggered in their beat down. Jason reached into his pocket and zip tied the guys hands before tossing him down at his feet. 

"Alright-- two down, two to go. You don't realize this; but I have battled through an army larger than this. I can go all night-- so talk. Who sent you," the woman who took the bullet to her armor narrowed her eyes at him behind the cowl. Red Hood shrugged playfully. "Hard way is a bad idea-- but it does seem like you all are set on making only those decisions tonight."

Drawing his guns he put a bullet through her forearm, and another in her calf. The gun fire from before had drawn cops. He could hear their sirens coming down the blocks-- they had maybe ten minutes. He cocked a brow even though the last guy couldn't see it. 

"He said you were cocky--" he was told by the guy holding the assault rifle on him as well. 

"Who?" he had his pistol aimed on the handle of the gun, right where all his fingers were. 

"Does it matter? He said he's going to break you again. HEHE" the laugh came from the guy behind him. The sound triggered something ugly in Jason who took a big step to the right. Planting his other sight on the zip tied guy with his second gun. 

"HEHEhHEE he said well HE SAID! HEHEHEhheHEHEHE" 

Jason's chest constricted. 

"He said you won't kill him either-- just like the Batman--" The other taunted. Jason snarled. Not answering with words, but placing another bullet into the laying man's thigh. He only laughed. 

"Does he have a message?" Jason's voice edged into Batman territory. Feeling a strong draw to put a bullet in all their heads. He'd humor he could play if off as self defense, but who was he kidding. 

"Red Hood do you copy?" his comm cracked into Nightwing's voice. It only furthered his anger. 

"No-- busy. I do not copy Wonder-annoying-boy," Jason stalked forward, gloved hangs tearing the assault rifle from their laughing form. Throwing a hand punch to their face, but they only laughed. He broke their rib. Busted their lip. Shook them against the gravel of the roof-- but all four of them were laughing hysterically. Jason running on adrenaline, pulled out a syringe of antidote for Jokers gas and jabbed it into the one pinned by his knife. He waited. An arm bar across their throat-- waiting for the unnatural smile. The other three bleeding out at his feet. The cops sirens roaring into the place by the docks. Jason's heart was hammering in his chest-- because...fear met his eyes in reflection. And they weren't his own.

"You aren't under his toxin...This isn't..." A sharp pain shot through his head, staggering him back enough his side collided into the doorway. He gathered his senses long enough to zip tie their hands, and pulled his knife from the shoulder of the man now cackling madly. Jason opened the door to the roof, and ran down the stairs to a lower floor. His initial scream became echoes to their laughing. Jason scrambled to pull his hood off when he got to the alleyway. The second fresh air hit his face his eyes closed into his hands. Groaning in annoyance and confusion.  

"Red--" Nightwing's voice came back in through the comm in his ear, but Jason was up and staggering away from the laughing-- tied up people awaiting for pick up from the cops. His helmet held in his hand, he moved quickly through familiar streets. His vision was swimming. Trying to keep his sights on where he was headed when a figure dropped down behind him. Jason wielded his knife, skidding his back foot into position to land a swift kick to their ankles. The masked Nightwing leaped over it and landed beautifully on a dumpster. Wearing a concerned-- yet woeful smile he had found his brother. 

"Ugh-- get away from me," Dick's smile fell epically. 

"Heard the gun shots-- can you report? Police are heading on the scene."

"No." Jason couldn't get the laughter out of his head. The echoing of their voices filling in over the Joker's he knew by heart. Could pick out in a crowd, blindfolded. It had been the last thing he heard before the ticking. Tick. Tick. Tick. BOOM. 

"Littlewing what is going on?" Dick was in step with him, Jason feeling suddenly too tired to worry about Dick learning about this shitty safe house he had on the books. He flipped open a broken fuse box and turned various breakers on in a combination as the key. The small garage opened up two feet, and Hood rolled under it to get inside. Nightwing right behind him-- rolling with that elegance Jason always was jealous of. Jason threw his helmet on the couch, and started stripping his armor out of habit. Dick took off his domino, looking around with that worried brother expression again.

"It's a shit-hole, trust me. I know. I could afford nicer places if I actually  _kept_ all the dirty money I take. But I don't-- so shut up before you speak," Jason watched the out of water slack jaw expression on Dick change into another smile. Damn him. Always finding comfort in those old memories that weren't so bad. That had been a favorite of Jason's to say to Dick when he was training to be Robin. 

"I'm off patrol-- just kicked some major ass, and I need to get all this shit to Tim so he can work on his case," Jason waved the DNA samples of hair he had elegantly ripped from their scalps and took the broken comm too. "Meaning-- what do you want?"

"Can't I just see you?" Maybe on any other night that sweet gathering of words from his older brother would have worked. Dick was a hugger. And well. Jason denied it. But he liked when Grayson swooped in and wrapped him up in one every once in a while. Even though he was rude to him constantly, the pair held some mutual understanding that it was a warped brotherly love. That and Dick was forever making up for the fact Batman hadn't told him he died to his face. 

"Nice try Dick, come on. Get out of my house," Nightwing put his domino back on, sliding the white part of the lens over his eyes. Jason felt exposed under the glare, not as much as when Batman was towering over you. But Nightwing wasn't a small guy either. Jason was confident he could take him on hand to hand-- though it was debatable in the batcave. Alfred had a bet going somewhere. 

"If you feel off you will call someone," It was a Batman order coming out of Nightwing, and Jason felt frustration lick up his ribs. Constrict his breathing to the point he felt like a pressure cooker about to explode.

"Yeah--" he managed without looking back, hearing the door open and close behind him. Jason peered around his shitty safe house. The scents of rotting food in the little cooler wasn't welcoming at all. Guess. Well guess he hadn't been here in a while since he kept bunking with Tim. "Stupid king size bed..." He plopped back on the matress with an old quilt on it. Jason not bothering removing any other clothes. He laid there with his eyes closed for a few passing minutes when he sat right up. Staring at the box on the table wrapped in green paper. The light on his computer turned on, Tim's face appearing on the screen. 

"Hey-- Nightwing said you were in a safe house. Guessed this one. Back there huh? You are sooo going to miss my bed..." cheeky little bastard was eating a donut in full Red Robin gear. "Wait-- what's wrong?"

Jason wasn't looking at the computer. He was walking towards the package sitting on the table. Looking too perfect. Out of place in the run down place. 

"What is it? I can't see over there," Tim asked, the tapping of fingers on a keyboard filling the room through the speakers. 

"A gift apparently, oh. Lovely. It's a bomb..." Jason responded with a knowing shake to his head. "Hey listen, under your safe is a little box. It has some letters I wrote to you all. You know..." He pushed up. Stalking over. 

"Shut up! Don't open it, I'm calling Bruce," 

"I'm opening it,"

"Jay stop it!" Tim was frantically typing, his voice filling out on the comm's. "Batman, report your location. I need you and Nigh--"

Jason tuned out the insistant need to keep saving him. Like all his family was determined to not have a repeat performance. But that was this game wasn't it? Joker must be behind it. Wanting to toy with him. Get the family all riled up. And it was working already. Tim was calling to him, but fear always pooled in the deepest parts of his soul when it involved the Joker. Little cracks of torture from his time in Hell. In the rebuilding of his soul-- in the evil magic that was the Pit. If anyone assumed he'd come back from the dead normal-- they haven't been Jason Todd well. Ever. 

He pulled the bow. It fell away to reveal the same bomb. Tick Tick Tick Tick. Nightwing was on the other side of the door, but Jason pressed his hand quickly on a large button. Sealing it closed tighter than a bunker. At least it would contain the blast. 

"You have to have enough time-- get out of there," Tim was reduced to begging. Nightwing was slamming something hard against the door. Jason felt out of body. 

"It's part of the game. Too easy this way..." Jason stood there instead. Watching the red numbers count down, blocking Tim's view off the small kitchen. Tim was in distress, and he felt bad only in that he was watching it at all. Maybe more. Yeah. No. Jason's heart painfully throbbed in sadness. "Bye babe--" he turned to face the screen. Smiling one last smile before throwing his knife at it. Waiting for the blast as the number clocked to zero. But nothing. A white noise filled his ears. A hand wrapping around his shirt and hulled him back. The cackling of 'did you see his face! This will crush him!' Echoed far away. Jason opened his eyes. 

"JASON!" The door burst open on the place. He was on the ground. Feeling the strong grip of Batman hull him up and look him over. Poweful, searching hands patted him down, gripped his face, and nearly crushed him in a hug. "Where-- what happened?" Jason looked over at the table to see nothing. He couldn't grace Batman with confusion. Only a blank expression consumed him, letting his mind leave the room all together was easy now. Another chill ran through his body. Was he going insane? Batman shook him. Jarring his senses enough to answer.

"Tim said there was a bomb," Batman growled out in that scary voice criminals associated with a beat down. And there were triggers in his mind going off without his consent. One's Jason had been determined to be rid of, but had felt when he had rigged the batmobile to explode but didn't. There was something-- always something about Bruce that made him feel like a child. This moment was the correct ending wasn't it? The one where the bomb didn't go off. That he was being saved. Jason just starred at the man suppose to be his Father. Trying to think. Wanting to be mad at him because it was easy. A throb of pain hit his head, but he ignored it. Wrapping around Bruce's forearm so he could stand up and get out of his mentors looming presence.

"I don't know," he responded. "Get out."

"Jason--" He snarled, the veins in his neck stretching out from around the artery in a ferocious scream. "GET OUT!" A fine prick hit his arm. Dick standing beside him with a sorrowful frown. Wrapping his arms around his middle so he didn't fall forward. "Sorry Jay--"

"It won't keep me out for long-- I've trained to withstand..."  
"Yeah we know--" 

Regretfully. Lights out.     


	3. Chapter Three

He had been awake for awhile. The drug used to sedate him was well out of his system, but he remained still on his back on the cot. Taking in the familiar scents of the batcave. Listening in on their whispered, and hushed conversations. He could see the glow of the monitors making a red hue paint across the thin skin of his eyelids. Jason mapped out who was here without looking. The pacing one was Tim. He could hear the drag of his cape along the floor, the tapping of a pen against his inside wrist while he was thinking. It was cute. Not that he'd say that out loud, but Jason couldn't deny visually painting a distressed Tim in his lost state of mind was a comfort. Dick was punching something-- maybe the sand bag suspended in the training part of the cave. They weren't brutal strikes. More steady. Like a mantra or medatiative state to calm him down. The fact Dick Grayson was so angry to revert to calming techniques like that should be worrisome. But Jason secretly liked that Dick was mad. Good. Be angry for once. He smiled too much for his own good. 

Jason attempted to wiggle his toes. Realizing he had no shoes on. The socks were soft threaded, far too nice to be on his person. Alfred was probably here. Changed him into spare clothes because he was dirty from his fight. He listened again. Scented tea now. Hear the soft sipping between thin lips in a proper way of drinking. So Alfred was down here too. Close by. Probably standing between Jason and Bruce to provide Jason with some cover. That meant Bruce was furious. And Jason couldn't help but shiver in disappointment to that. He was always mad at him, that wasn't new. But he had hoped he'd earned some level of trust these past months. Would it ever be enough? Or had Tim nailed their mentors reasoning perfectly? Would Bruce always be wary of him because of what he did to Tim? To all those people's lives he took without a care-- without consequence? Jason held no regrets to the choices he made. But there was always a bubble of fear all he presented on the front would come fully true. His anger was a blended front. Practiced because it was easy, but instilled in him from the Pit as price for restoring his life proper. 

Footsteps were approaching. Jason's eyes were open on the ceiling. Hundreds of bats were lingering up there. Sleeping. Probably shitting on everything if Tim hadn't made those robots to clean up the cave for Alfred. He reached out and grabbed the arm making to touch him, Tim's delicate wrist groaned under the twist, but he stepped into the tug. Hovering right in front of his face with a goofy smile. 

"You up sleepy head,"

"Don't mock me babybird-- I'm going to break one of Grayson's fingers," he grunted quietly between them. Jason out of habit almost threaded his fingers through Tim's hair. Wanting to steal a kiss. But they hadn't entirely came out to the family yet. Tim had said he didn't mind, it was Jason who was set on having this secret because he was a selfish prick and didn't want people in their business. Not that the Batman wouldn't figure it out eventually...he should let go of that little patch of soft skin. 

"Maybe no broken bones, but a bruise on his tailbone would make for him walking funny. We could settle on that?" Tim suggested in all seriousness, though his smile was ridiculously childish in the bleak background. Still speaking softly so they weren't overheard Jason was momentarily lost in the beauty that Tim held while smiling. He was ridiculously pretty. Softer features than the other boys Jason had been with. Challenged even the most beautiful women as well because he knew who Jason was. Alfred scuffed to bite back his amusement like he knew their secret already. And Jason found himself strangely smiling in fondness. _No_. It was gone instantly. Sitting up with his palm pressed into his temple. Bruce was standing behind Tim, arms crossed and partially in his Batman gear. Jason battled rolling his eyes. Mostly missing how it felt to have Batman there when the bomb hadn't gone off...

"You have a twisted sense of need to stand over me too Bruce? Just like the Joker-- he did that shit too ya know? Loomed over before he took that crowbar to my face," he scowled, and spoke out because he needed to prove they had no right to do that. Drag him here without question, like he wasn't family. Tim looked over his shoulder before grabbing Jason's biceps to hull him up. The drugs were more an annoyed feeling in his blood stream. Like he was sluggish in both thoughts, and movements. He didn't appreciate the kidnapping. But a tiny voice in his head said that was the only way they would have gotten him here. Jason hadn't been back in the batcave or even the manor since he decided to join up with Team Bat again. He got it, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be a little petty over it. 

"Jay-- come on," Tim got him up on his feet and started leading him towards one of the large medical bays where all the advanced equipment was. Tim's fingers were rubbing soothing circles along his bare skin under his arm. Jason let his mind fade while he was brought to a chair, and sat down. Tim quickly removed his wings, putting on gloves so he could draw some blood. Jason heard Bruce talking to him. Asking questions. Wanting answers because God forbid the Batman doesn't know something. He ignored them. Instead focused on a point in the distance. Felt the prick of a needle, and draw of blood. Jason remembered too much here as well. It had been why he didn't want to come here. He could pin point all the spots he'd try to hide from Bruce. One he even got stuck in and required being saved from his guardian because he was upside down and dangling from his cape like a complete idiot. Alfred had tried so hard not to laugh. But the fact the adults were keeping it together for sake of kid Jason's pride-- well. Jason had burst into laughter. Hanging upside down with tears of joy before begging them to 'alright alright! Get me down already!' 

Fingers gently ran along his jawline, behind his ear to smooth away the hair plastered to his face. Jason's eyes moved upward. Noticing the quiet. How still everyone was. Their faces unreadable less the concern. It reminded him of Starfire and Roy with their big worried eyes, and cuddling...Dammit. Anger sparked a fire in his gut, and he pushed up. Knocking Tim's hand aggressively away, and moved towards his gear laid clean (thanks Alfred) on a table. 

"You are quite welcome. Can you please stay the day Master Jason. I'd rather like to take a brain scan tonight," Alfred was by his side now. Not realizing he had thanked the butler out loud. Jason started tying up his boots. 

"They got what they wanted. Right Bruce? Go solve your damn mystery. Headline. 'Has The Red Hood Finally Gone Off the Deep End?' Always working with you-- never enough caring," Jason bit out nastily. Alfred placed a gloved hand on his bullet proof vest to pause his motions. Jason peered up at the older man. Feeling guilt claw up his ribs. 

"Sir, can you do it for my peace of mind. If I can-- have something so valuable to review. I can work out proper treatment that won't involve such barbaric kidnappings to your person," Alfred offered that knowing look that Jason knew well. The one Where Alfred clearly hadn't agreed with how Dick and Bruce handed everything. He heard Dick shuffle under those words, Jason seeing in the corner of his eye how Bruce also stiffened. It was greatly amusing. Alfred was always honest with them all. Properly spoken, but could cut deeply if he wanted it too. Jason sighed. Looking past Alfred to catch Tim's eye. The younger of the pair nodded subtly for him to agree. Traitor. 

"You think something is really wrong?" He asked instead of agreeing. Knowing Alfred would speak the full truth to his thoughts on the matter. 

"It's hard to say entirely, we all have our theories since detective work is this family's vein of profession next to vigilantism. But Master Jason, I do believe you are not foolish enough to think that everything would be fine after coming back to life. You have symptoms and yet you are reverting to a stubbornness that I recall also involved baths when you were younger," Jason didn't blush at that. "So Sir, yes. I do think something is wrong to speak clearly and simply. What and how much is really up for debate. Can I prepare a room?" 

The cave was quiet again. Tim had said the same thing a week ago. And Alfred always got his way. They all knew Jason was going to say yes now, and it was almost humorous if the tension in the space was so thick in the air. 

"Very well, I will see to breakfast now Sir," he bowed out as if Jason had verbally spoken yes to the man. Walking towards the elevator to take him upstairs. Jason still held his vest, then tossed it over his shoulders to strap it on. 

"Was there any evidence to a bomb?" He asked Bruce.

"No,"

"What about those people near the docks?"

"They were just guards Jason. Rushed to the emergency room," Dick responded. Jason felt that tightness in his chest return. He knew he should say something. Tell them what happened. Report as Bruce would have it. But he didn't want too. There was a rooted fear in speaking such truths. Wanting to make it hard on them to prove how crazy he was becoming over him speaking the evidence. 

"They talked?" Dick nodded his head. "They said The Red Hood was talking to himself so they approached, and then you attacked them."

"What?" He clenched his fists. "That's a damn lie. They snuck up on me with weapons in hand." 

"We believe you," Tim said quickly, diffusing the spark of anger held brightly in Jason's green eyes. "I will personally run the DNA tests and take apart the comm you found myself alright?" Okay. Shit. What the fuck. He was pacing. 

"They were laughing--" he admitted. Shaking his head in frustration. "They were fucking laughing. I thought. I thought they had been hit with Joker's gas but when I injected the antidote...it didn't do anything." Keys from the main computer came to life, Bruce turning his back on him to insert the information into the system. To check for additional clues. Jason rubbed his temple, pressing his palm into the crown of his head. Something was wrong. Alfred was right-- Jason knew it. But he was being stubborn. He didn't want to feel weak-- powerless again. The last time that had happened he had been beat to death with a crow bar. Jason grabbed his things. Fuck his 'yes' to Alfred, he was out of here. His strides took him to a bike, red helmet in hand. 

"Just because all this shit is happening doesn't mean you need to pull away alright?" Tim was there again. Always there within reach. Wanting to anchor him, tether him to all things beautiful and good when Jason just wanted to be alone. To bury himself in booze and darkness. Because at least he understood that. This. This bubble of happiness that always surfaced when around the younger robin wasn't something Jason could handle. 

"I'm losing it--" he said to Tim, not hiding his voice from the other two. Tim's lips frowned, "have you thought maybe that Lazarus Pit wasn't a permanent fix? Maybe I am just dying again. I'm not going to sit here and get pricked and prodded when I have work to do. Saving people... Being the Red Hood is all I have. If I'm hurting people who don't deserve it cause I can't tell the difference...what's left for me?" Tim's fingers twitched to reach out, but he didn't. Not here. Not in front of them. 

"Don't say stuff like that," Tim said instead of arguing. Jason ran his fingers through his hair, slicking it back so it didn't cling to his face. Tying the longer strands into a low bun at the nap of his neck. The engine to the bike roared to life, Jason always loved the thrill that came with motorbikes. Bruce had to teach him as a kid because he kept stealing them. 

"Being honest for once Timmy. I'm either going crazy, or dying so," he shrugged, about to put the Hood on. "Let me have what I can." There was a strong underlying meaning in there. The manipulation to Tim's feelings wasn't fair. But Jason was the worse kind of person when he felt cornered. 

Bruce powered down the bike from the computer, Jason hooked his head over to Batman who was giving him that look. The one Jason knew better than to fight against. Well. Jason never said he was the smartest Robin in the nest. His brain flipped through all the scenarios-- knowing the only one that would get him out the easiest. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his blade, twisting Tim against his chest and pressed the sharp edge against his throat drawing blood immediately. He could feel Tim's heart hammering even through his Kevlar. Fingers curled tightly into his forearms, Jason feeling his ankle hook around his to throw him off balance should he do anymore. Jason wasn't foolish enough to assume Tim couldn't get out of this hold. But it gave him the chance to speak in his ear without being overheard. 

"Knock me out babybird so they take me upstairs. But we leave the moment I wake in bed. _Please_. Don't let me stay here..." Jason whispered, Tim's eyes were on Batman. Dick's frown and concern drawling out his weapons. 

"Jason stop this!" Batman ordered, but Tim took his chance. He scented of blood from the extremely sharp blade to his neck leaving a fine line. Tim hooked his ankle around Jason's calf, sending both elbows into his sides, and tossed back his head against Jason's forehead. With a perfect twist of his smaller frame, Tim landed a kick to the side of Jason's face. The Red Hood collided to the ground and Jason passed out at Red Robin's feet. 

Jason woke in soft sheets, and a cool towel with a bandage on his head. Victory was the word he first thought of before the rattling of cuffs to his wrist made him scowl. Sitting up he tugged on the object once or twice before reaching towards the lamp side table. Breaking the lampshade off and pulling a thin wire from the bottom edge. He had the lock picked in seconds. Jason realizing he was in his old room offered no comfort. Why was everyone set on filling him with memories? It was why his life dragged on. Why he could never be anything more-- or anything worthy prior to his death. Being Robin had been the highest point of his life. All this? All this was playing catch up. In being grateful he could do a little good in the world. 

Tim slipped in through the window in civilian clothes. Landing on the carpet, crystalline gaze intense and predatory as he stalked forward. Jason braced himself out of habit, but welcomed the hands to his hips. The wall meeting his back in a hard shove to break a groan out of the bigger man. Tim narrowed his eyes. Jason thought he would look more threatening under the Red Robin costume-- because right now Tim was in an oversized plaid red shirt hanging off his shoulders with tight bike riding shorts that made Jason want to run his hands down his thighs. Tim's gender fluid style of dress always made Jason hungry. Needy. 

"You are in trouble after that stunt," Tim threatened, Jason could only stare in wonder. Reaching up to run his thumb along the treated line across his neck. Jason tilted his head to run his nose against it. Stealing a kiss in the hallowed point under his jaw. Tim's breath caught, but Jason could tell he was really mad this time with the tension wound up in his body.

Well get in line. 

"You knew I couldn't have gotten out of the cave easier...but I'm sorry," Tim shoved his palm right along his side hip. Dipping his fingers lower, teasing his abs-- finger nails just brushing the thatch of hair under his navel. Jason smirked. He liked when he got Tim like this. The smaller male wasn't one to be messed with, all appearances aside he was a brilliant mastermind with a need for control that made Jason's tempers appear child's play. People forgot it was Tim who worked out Batman and Robins identities and kept it a secret. Even through Jason's time as Robin...and his death. Tim had been adamant about being one step ahead of even the Batman. To always be the piece they needed. They all knew he was the glue in this team. The only person outside of Alfred that kept them together because he always put his needs second. But this. When Tim finally took...it was overwhelming. 

"They are asleep. Your door is rigged with alarms, I only managed to crack your window sensors without setting them off. It took me all morning, it's almost noon-- guess I kicked you too hard," Jason laughed. 

"I'm still feeling it. And after all your worrying about my brain you probably bruised it," Tim's eyes widen greatly in concern to those words, and Jason kissed him quickly to remove the guilt. "No you don't babybird, I'm fine. Thick head I swear." 

"Jason listen," Tim pulled away. Jason felt lost for a few seconds, realizing he was reaching for him before he quickly tucked his hands into his pockets. He won't be dependent on that touch. "Here is what I think. We all have different theories like Alfred said. But me-- well. My evidence is pointing that there is something in your blood. I, reviewed slides this morning but couldn't gathering anything conclusive but it might be all that training with toxins you had-- maybe it allowed for a weakness to surface between the strengths."

"What?" Jason was confused, "you saying I might take something worse?"

Tim nodded. "I'm not sure what exactly is having a reaction-- but it would be silly for us to not think with all our preparations we could have encouraged one of them to evolve when it was put in your system. But--" Tim sighed, rubbing his hands together in nerves. Jason could tell he hadn't slept in a few days. "I can't say with one hundred percent certainty that it's what I saw. But if something is in your blood were missing...we have to work on getting it out of your body. Run some tests. It's a start if anything."

"How do we even?" Jason asked, sitting down on the bed. 

"Dialysis would present a better chance to see what's pulled out, maybe with a blood transfusion we can help some of the effects...I'm not Doctor so I really have no idea. Alfred agrees though," 

"Are you fucking kidding me? I'm not that kind of sick Tim!" Jason's anger sparked at the idea of himself being hooked up to such a machine. His body was strong. He had assassins training-- and Batman fine tuning. The Red Hood wasn't getting hooked up to dialysis because of a Toxin. Tim narrowed a pointed look his way, slipping right into his lap. The weight solid, and heavy in counter to his thin frame accentuated with the off the shoulder long sleeve plaid barely fitting. Jason was enamored instantly, though an angry furrow still met between his eyes. Wrapping his fingers into his hips, he pressed him down on his thighs and instinctively dropped his mouth to the soft expanse of skin on his exposed shoulder. 

"Focus--" Tim said eerily calm. Gripping his chin and turning his face towards him. "I could be wrong, but the fact you could fix all of this through that treatment is an easy decision. I won't make you, and I haven't told Bruce yet. But I will think you a coward for allowing your pride to take you away from us so easily."

"Ouch babybird, you are spending too much time with me," Jason winced. Tim grinned, leading his face towards his own. Brushing his lips softly. Tracing his bottom lip with his tongue. Jason was distracted, rolling upward in a small motion with his hips making himself shutter in need.

"If you don't stop were going to get caught. You know you can't be quiet," Tim chuckled at the comment, not making to stop. Instead turning Jason's head to the side. Tim's teeth worried into the thick meat of his pulse point. Jason's hips bucked at that, stifling his own noise with a gasp and a tight press of his lips. Tim sucked hard enough to blossom the skin into a red bruise, lathering the burn of teeth to skin with his tongue only to suck it back into his mouth. Jason's grip on Tim's thighs tightened, nails into the exposed skin. 

"Babe--"

"Hmm?" Tim responded more in his throat. A cheerful, innocent sound that made Jason want to both laugh and groan at. 

"Babe-- seriously, I'm going to have you right here," he warned. Tim pulling back only to trace his fingers over Jason's chest. Mapping old scars and tattoos. Raising a brow in challenge. Tim seemed to be quite satisfied with the bruise on his neck now if the smirk was anything go on alone. Great. Now he will have to explain that to someone. 

"And don't negotiate with sex-- god baby I am ruining you," Jason whined. And Tim laughed wrapping his hands on either side of Jason's face to lace his fingers into the nap of his neck and tugged him into a deep kiss. Jason was drowning in the lust Tim brought into the room. Letting his mind forget everything that was happening. That he could be awarded something like this-- as if he deserved it. Jason slipped his hands up and down Tim's backside, tugging him closer. To roll himself up against the weight on top of him. Needing more.

"You are a sweetie under all that Hood persona," Tim teased, because he always left Jason a puddle of gooey softness when he wanted him that way. Jason was a closet romantic. A good cook too, always preparing Tim these amazing meals and freezes them for him when he was away. Tim had started a dried petal collection because Jason kept buying him flowers with excuses as to the why he did it. Jason liked to believe he was one of Bruce's soldiers-- someone trained to kill and be exceptionally difficult to be around because of his tragic history. But Tim knew better. He knew Jason craved someone honest and real. Someone who had his back, and could make him smile or take his breath away. Tim was the only one to bring Jason out of that darkness-- no matter how cliche it sounded. 

"It's only a secret you know of," Jason nipped playfully at his lips. Trying to calm himself down, because Tim was too much sometimes. 

"We could just stay," Tim suggested, "eat Alfred's food. Get these tests done so everyone can get off your back including me. And then we can also add to our growing list--" Tim trailed off, pulling back to tug his shirt off. Jason watched the exposed bit of skin with darkened eyes. "-- ever have sex on that dinosaur?" Tim's smile was teasing, maybe hinting to challenging Jason's original words in that Red Robin way. Jason was in love. 

"Fuck-- do you realize how much I love you?" Jason blirted out the second he thought it. Feeling immediately exposed. Wanting to escape and collapse forward in the welcoming expanse of his arms. Tim's eyes widened a hair, but they softened the features on his face flushed from their making out. 

"Well you haven't said it before, but yes. I have always realized it," he admitted much to cause Jason further direst. 

"I'm horrible for you," 

"How movie classic of you to say,"

"Seriously-- why would you let me love you?"

"Let you? Please, you make all the decisions without me," Tim teased, but he had his fingers tightly held along the back of Jason's neck to keep him anchored. Jason wouldn't ever get it. This patience with him. This understanding. 

"What if it's nothing-- pulling me off patrol is a bad idea with the Joker running about. You know Bruce needs our help with it," Jason spoke logically, Tim pondered it not able to offer more than a sad sort of shrug.

"We have to start somewhere...and we'll be here together if anything pops up."

Jason sighed a grumpy, childish noise. Pressing his mouth to skin just near Tim's pretty collarbones to dust them in butterfly kisses. Tim tried to wiggled out of his arms, a laugh bubbling out in the best of ways. Jason cherished it before flipping them over. Cloaking all Tim's back in his chest, pushing down with his hips in a filthy grind against the swell of his back side. Tim's breath finally caught properly. The tease. He leaned into his ear. Trying to be honest as Tim always was with him. Wrapping his arms around his middle, and smothering him into the lavish bed. 

"I'll think about it-- now though..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Highkey debating about a smut scene but only if people have interest. So let me know lol any location on the manor or batcave preference? I guess I could continue with how I ended this scene. LOL tell meh!! If not I'll move the plot on hehe -- Cas #weallaregoingtohell #brucesbedisahorribleideajason


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a smut scene in this, if you like to avoid such things it's towards the end. The very last part is very canon Tim worry!things so that might be worth the read :) I'm not going to add all these smut tags to my story cause it just sorta happened and this is a case fic so it will be picking back up to that next chapter! Comments are well loved and very motivating! Thank you all who did. cheers! Cas

Everyone had bits and pieces of his story. They knew the dramatic bits, the parts that made it seem epic in that horrible plot driven way. Look! The new Boy Wonder with Batman! Criminals learned his fists could shatter bones. Batman discovered those holes in Jason's story were filled with darkness-- sculpted through survival. Necessary to protect himself.

He was just a boy.

Bruce holding his broken, lifeless body was part of the real event-- at least he assumes so. Reading over the autopsy report, Bruce would know his brains had been scrambled and mashed in against the floor seconds before the bomb TICK TICK TICK-- KABOOM! Went off next to his Mother. Talia claimed to know only what was important to her objectives. How he crawled out-- how he was an exceptional fighter even under the brain trauma. The Lazarus pit did give him life in restoration-- at a cost. Ras had saw him disposable, but knew enough of the pieces to convince him otherwise. Even through the betrayal of his daughter-- The Demon enjoyed from the sidelines as reality to what was coming surfaced from Jason Todd's rising. Like he knew he was kin of the same powers in life as he. Like he knew Gotham would change forever.

But what they all didn't know-- is how much smack talk he gave the Joker. How he laughed back, fell into a dangerous delirious mental state to just stay alive a moment's longer. To stall as Batman had trained him too do. But a line had crossed. It didn't expell out in begging. But it shed down his face in silent tears. Joker laughing at him wasn't the worse part...nor the crowbar to his skull and sides. Jason had grew up expecting this exact beating from his father. He had heard the tears from the woman he thought had been his mom fill his ears before she moaned in ecstasy when her drugs kicked in. No. It wasn't the screams of his biological Mother in the background begging the clown to stop hurting him. Jason just remembered how much he cried and fought back. Remembered exactly what he was muttering to himself so he didn't slip into shock when the crowbar sent an elecruting spout of pain through his cheekbone shattering it on impact.

_"Batman is coming? Was that it? OhOH OHOH I hope so! But then he will be caught in the blast and that isn't part of my plan birdy."_

The last taste on his mouth was the saltiness of those damn tears and the knowing flavor of blood. The hopelessness of his stupidity. How he knew Batman wasn't coming when the world was fading to a quiet death. Feeling truly alone, completely unworthy of all he had when he became Robin. No one knew how it felt to hold cherished memories trapped in his head, but without being able to understand them. He felt conflicted emotions in that demented time of coming back to life. But it was always the quiet that frightened him. The training he went through while brain damaged instilled familiarity only. He knew. Without words that something very broken had happened to him.

Jason Todd wouldn't ever be the same again.

No matter how much they tried to change him-- urge him in a certain direction. He can't be molded. Not anymore.

Tim would greatly disagree. But Tim is also a little manipulative shit. Not that Tim knew Jason's story either...that was only for him to ever know in completion. 

"Where have you been? I had to ask Bruce to locate you, did you notice the sensor under your shoe?" Tim unfolded over the roof edge, plopping down with a graceful landing on the railing overlooking the grounds and back gardens on the estate. Jason was enjoying a cigarette. Rubbing his temple more like he was in thought over being startled by the Red Robin. 

"Of course, I figured it would be easier to just let him think he has the control over this situation than fight him on it. Bruce always had a horrible way of showing how he cares," 

"He's still furious with you about the cave stunt," 

Jason snorted, and threw himself into a coughing fit when the drag of smoke surprised his lungs and burned his nose. Tim laughed, hooking his knee against the metal in perfect balance to the 'hiding' spot Jason had found to peer over the long drop. Jason regrouped himself, rubbing the tears from his eyes.

"Dick and I played chase this way once. I won only by a margin, my thinner frame slid right down between those bushes, and Dick? He completely got stuck. I don't think I saw Damian laugh so hard. He gathered himself up quickly enough and gave Dick a list of reasons why he was stupid for attempting such a horrible maneuver with his size, but it was hard to deny the hilarity of it all. I'm thankful we have those kinds of memories here," Tim squatted, then dropped his legs down onto the slope of roof to situate himself by Jason's side. 

"How you feeling?"

"Tired that's all," 

"Alfred said he will show you everything from the scan and blood work once it comes back in. I thinkit's cause he's looking for a second opinion-- discreetly of course,"

"Of course,"

Tim's seeking fingers made their way under his jaw, but Jason didn't make to enjoy those baby blues. He nipped at them instead. Tim quickly pulling them back with an eye roll. 

"You're grumpy,"

"I don't care, I was going to patrol tonight after I agreed to all this shit. But--"

"But you're tired.."

"Yeppppp-- I blame you,"

Tim hummed in response. Not wanting to say anything more so Jason's hurt pride didn't flare into anger. 

"Well, if you are too tired then maybe I stand a chance," Tim shrugged, standing up to move away from Jason. A playful smirk filled out the soft cheeks into a dusted rosy reveal to his ideas before he said them. It was finally Jason looked at him and realized what Tim was wearing. So lost in his head he finally caught the details of what was an arm reach in front of him-- and like the self centered ass hole he was. Jason hadn't noticed. He shifted upward, half growling out.

"Is that so little birdy? Wish to fly from me in that dress?" The long sleeve (oversized) knitted sweater dress resting around his inner thighs was delectable, even covered in black tights from the nippy fall weather. Jason knew the skin there was so pale, never seeing any light unlike the rich tan coated along his forearms, and shoulders. He knew how well it bruised with just a nip of teeth. Jason flicked the cigarette to the tiled roof. In Tim's hand out of no where was his Bo staff, shoving the end of it roughly against Jason's shoulder sending him back on his ass on the roof. A challenging stare down was made, Jason barely thinking straight as it was with all the blood in his body having undergone extensive medical examinations. It seemed to still pool down his gut, and between his legs in a throbbed-- want over providing him brain power.

"Only if you catch me," Tim said in a Robin voice. Jason catalogued his weaknesses from his long day the second Tim jumped backwards off the edge of the roof. His silhouette to the darkness around the estate only blocking the stars. He flipped through what he knew of Tim and where he would probably head next. Jason centered himself with a deep, resonating inhale. Stretching his fingers out with a groan of leathered gloves. He needed to focus. Losing this wasn't on the table...

"God damn tease-- who would have known." 

He launched off the roof. Landing hard on the ground below, tucking and rolling to disperse his weight and fall. He took off in the shadows at first. Neither had their head gear on, so cheating with their visors was out of the games rules. Jason knew the shadows as well as Batman...but just like Dick, Jason had always enjoyed the direct approach. To be the showmen. To charge in with guns blazing was the trademarked slogan for The Red Hood. 

If the crime families could only see this, Jason was sure he'd never be able to push them over again. Might actually have to kill a few people to remind them that he was still an angry son of a bitch and literally not chasing down Red Robin in a sexy sweater dress that stretched and hung off his strong shouldered frame in that perfect way. But it was hard to deny the visual of him feeling sick on top of this chase. The last few hours had been rough. Sleeping, or resting in general had been rough to begin with but he was losing an internal battle with his mood swings. Jason's before Tim came to find him was pretty foul-- but not because he had agreed to get tests done. He was just feeling lost. Like his mind was traveling back to that lonely place he had suffered through right before the Pit healed him. The coping mechanism he had as a child when he didn't entirely know what to do anymore. Hopelessness didn't look good on the Red Hood. Jason wished he could shake it. Smile that cocky grin, and share a beer with his family. But he couldn't fathom a better punishment then this. A second life must come with a steep price. And Jason. Damn him, but he never really believed he deserved anything good in life. 

Jason leaned against the stone wall of the eastern part of the manor. There were alarms set everywhere, and some none of the Robin's knew about. He was certain Tim had to of asked Bruce to turn them off so they could play before he found him. Jason grumbled at the Fatherly move, but he couldn't deny that it felt really nice. He had always been set on not calling Bruce dad. Maybe because anyone close to him in that capacity has been obliterated or murdered. Adding Jason Todd's bad streak to killing the Batman wasn't something he wanted added to his long list of fucked up moments-- A Story About the Red Hood. 

"You are slowwww," Tim was upside down from one of the garden archways. His belly exposed from the article of clothing having slid down his middle. Jason almost snorted. 

"Are you just doing this to prove your secret theories about my physical state when under these conditions?" Jason challenged, throwing a dagger from his inside jacket pocket to lodge into the side of Tim's left boot. The aim perfect, sliding without piercing skin but effectively locking him in that position. Tim folded his arms looking like a grumpy child. 

"I liked these shoes thank you--" 

"Wahh," Jason teased, his run quick to reach his position. Tim bent his body up, dislodging the dagger and put the sharp blade into a holster against his ankle. 

"Mine now Hood," Tim leaped off the archway, landing on the ground silently. Jason braced his fists up in a fighting position. Taking the strong swipe of the Bo staff against his forearms. At least he had his jacket on. The reinforced padding in the arms took part of the blow, Jason grabbed the end. Expertly releasing the button to snap the Bo back into it's smaller form. Tim wasn't phased by the move, instead swept low in a kick and spun up to strike with the small wooden weapon against Jason's side. He grunted from the impact-- but Jason was a bulky guy. The blossoming bruise from the hit didn't slow him down and Tim's eyes held so much challenge in them. A perfect mixture of 'come at me' and 'I really love you like this.' Jason once more consumed in thoughts over paying attention took another hit under his ankles. Tim lowering into a perfect swept of his feet to take Jason down. 

"Distracted? See something you like?" Tim took off. Jason laid on the cold ground. A chuckle caught in his chest to rattle an actual laugh of amusement out of the grumpy man. Gathering himself, again-- Jason took off instead towards the Library window. Hulling himself up only to run into Alfred who was startled by Jason's appearance. Bruce looked greatly amused, of course Jason could tell he was more working out exactly was happening. If they didn't get out of the manor soon, Bruce would work out they were together. Which-- well. Maybe if that huffed response from Alfred was anything to go by it wasn't too bad. 

"Master Jason, there are eleven doors to this manor. All of which I am certain you know how to use. If you see Master Timothy-- who might I add you seem to be after and I believe he is heading for the kitchens-- tell him that I will not have my drapes tugged on by flying robins anymore tonight," Jason fought embarrassment with a casual shrug. Standing up from the crouched position he had dove in with, and released his grip from the thick drape. 

"Sorry Alfred--" Bruce's chuckle filled his ears when he took off. Alfred saying something along the lines of. _We can not have everyone decide on the same night to not run patrol...though Sir it's nice to have the house full isn't it?_

Jason battled greatly with how great it felt to be running around the Manor again. 

He skid to a stop in the kitchens. Tim was near the freezer, holding a tub of ice cream in one hand, and two spoons in his mouth. He hadn't heard Jason yet who halted his breath, and ducked out of the way to avoid being seen. Tim slipped past him when he exited. Jason noticed how on alert he was, sneaking in steps towards his room upstairs. It gave him a better view now that they were under the soft warm lighting in the house. Jason took a different route, climbing out the kitchen window (sorry Alfred) and scrambled up the side to a small office window he had left open earlier to smoke while inside. He climbed in, closing it carefully and shifted through the space towards where Tim was keeping look out. Guarding his ice cream, and yet closely monitoring his surroundings. 

Jason pounced when he crossed the doorway. Slamming all his weight until Tim's shoulder collided with the wall, dropping the spoons. The younger didn't seem surprised, but he didn't give up either. Thrusting the tub of ice cream right into Jason's hands-- who on instinct took it-- he rolled to grab up the spoons from their feet and was racing into his room before Jason's brain could realize his hands were cold. 

"So easily distracted with me. Why do you let me have my way hmm?" Came Tim's teasing response when Jason chucked the ice cream over the bed where Red Robin caught it. 

"You are fucking trouble. Is this for me tormenting you last night? I told you I have been-- well.."

"Tired. I know, but you did make out with me, then literally passed out leaving me hanging..."

"You are full of complaints tonight babybird?"

"Only with you,"

"So what do you want?" Jason moved to close the door, slipping in confident strides around the bed. Tim moved over the matress to land on the other side. But now with a spoon in the ice cream. Jason tugged off his gloves, and shrugged off his jacket. If Tim wanted to play hard to get then it was his turn to just get to the point. Tim had the spoon on his tongue, eyes glued on Jason stripped down. 

"You are such a voyager Timmy-- stalker by trade and kink. Do you want to hook up a camera and watch me from the computer?" Tim flushed. 

"Shut up-- you're gorgeous. It's hard not to want to watch you,"

"Do you really want to banter all night? Cause I'll just start without you," 

"Well I have heard when the Red Hood makes threats-- he keeps them, so get on it with." 

 _Shit._  Tim sat down in an oversized chair, left leg hooked over the arm. The knitted sweater pooled around his thighs again, dipping down to show Jason bruised collarbones from last night. He unhooked his belt, pulling it from the holes and dropping it on the floor with the rest of his stuff. Tim took another bite of ice cream, eyes dark and inviting. Jason surprisingly didn't like the attention...felt a familiar knot of something ugly coil at the power move. But it was Tim. He was in a pretty dress, lounged out eating ice cream after being chased down. There wasn't even sweat on his brow. No evidence to any fatigue. Jason tugged his jeans down after untying his boots, revealing tanned, gorgeously scarred skin while throwing his shirt as well. He was completely naked and the little shit was just sitting there--

"Tim-- get over here," 

"No, I'm pretty content here. After all you didn't actually catch me,"

Jason took the closing steps and wrapped his arms right under his legs, curling them up his hamstrings to grab the meat of his ass and hulled him right up. Tim dropped the ice cream, but still had a spoonful in his mouth. He didn't seem surprised again which made Jason feel manipulated. Not that it was a problem now that he had his hands on him. Tim slid the spoon out slowly and tossed it behind him, before bringing his mouth to his own. Jason tasted the mint from the dessert instantly, the chill across his usually warm lips bringing out a shiver. Food play wasn't anything Jason had given thought about, but it was obscenely hot to chase after a deeper kiss so he could sample the flavor of Tim and sugar on his tongue. He moved forward, dipping his back against the wall. Holding him up, with a stronger kiss after a needed inhale. Tim fell quiet finally, fingers pulling Jason's longer hair back. Tangling around the soft strands. 

"You are too much for me," Jason muttered, tugging against Tim's black tights while not releasing his hold. Tim made no attempt to help, but groaned when he stopped at his thighs, Jason rocked upward. Sliding his dampened head to brush up against the cleft of Tim's ass. 

"Jay-- geez, you are impatient and grumpy. I'll learn to not tease you so much," Tim was still trying to make talk, and Jason shook his head amused. Kissing his neck hungrily, tilting his hips perfectly to tease a burn of pleasure to catch along his entrance without intrusive entry.

"You are just trying to distract me babe, I get it," Jason grunted out admittedly impatient always with sex. "If I could have you like this, I would. Keep you clothed. Fuck into you barely prepped and head slamming into the wall." 

"Shit-- what did we talk about making threats--" Tim smirked. And Jason stilled. Pulling away from the mark next to the other one he had made last night. 

"What you saying little bird," Jason growled out, hovering his mouth an inch form Tim's. Still scenting the sweetness of the minty treat. 

"I'm saying you really left me hanging last night...you think I'd play chase without being prepared?" That smirk. The devil wears such a smile. Jason shook his head amused, and greatly aroused. But he didn't spare any other seconds, tilting and adjusting Tim's weight in his arms. His legs strongly set to keep them balanced, Tim was countering it naturally in a way no other person could with Jason. He brought their mouths back together in another head dizzying kiss, carrying them over to the bed to remove the tights still trapped around Tim's decently large thighs. Tim took the chance to reach into the drawer, rolling the lube over to Jason while smoothing down the lines of his dress so it wasn't such a mess. He turned to the side, resting his head into the palm of his hand, elbow crooked and causal appearing on the bed while Jason was flush, and bordering on feral from Tim keeping his clothes on.  

"You are more worth a picture than me," Jason blurted out.

"Oh I don't know, I have a couple upside down pictures of you that provided some decent views," Tim said wickedly. Jason settled onto the bed, not flushing because that's ridiculous he was just hot. Determined to shut the Robin up, he grabbed his calf, tugging him hard down the bed and settled between his lean, sculpted legs. Tim didn't put up a fight like he usually did. Instead settling down. Tracing Jason's features, that sweet smile back and distracting. Jason slipped his hand down first, slick fingers seeking to prove what Tim had promised was taken care off. No matter how much Jason hurt Tim, he'd not do anything in this moment like that. He stole a kiss to keep them quiet. Seeking a fevered pitch of delerium that struck when in the throws of sex. Tim groaned at his intrusion, shifting his hips downward. Jason could feel how loose he was, walls feeling slick in preparation from before he found Jason. _Shit._  That visual frustrated everything, gripping his side to hook his leg around his waist and pushed in with a gentle tilt. This mind whited in those seconds, the heat too much. The pressure overwhelming to short out. Tim was saying something-- no demanding him to 'fucking move'. 

Jason settled forward into a bruising pace, mouth lingering into a desperate pant along the curve of Tim's neck. They wouldn't last long and Jason didn't care. He knew he'd probably pass out after and the fact he could earn sleep in such a fashion was a great gift. Jason couldn't find words to tease, only turned him around. Burrowing his face into the contours of his spine, the soft touch of knit causing humidity to gather between Tim's shoulder blade. Jason pushed all his weight down, seeking to go deeper with every thrust, and Tim was being too loud. Jason wanted to cover his mouth-- save them from having to explain anything. But the sounds were driving him mad. Slipping his arm instead across his chest, pinning his arms, and setting a deeper, sharper angle. Tim shuttered. The weight of Jason's heavy body driving fighting instincts away. Jason felt it the second Tim just let go. It was insanity. The pliable relaxation that swept under him, the desperation before everything tightened to consume him. Tim's nails bit into Jason's forearm and that sharpness of pain had Jason pulling out. Losing himself in the entire movement to meet the juncture of Tim's thighs with his organism. He shuddered once. Then Tim laughed. And Jason wanted to punch him in the side-- the high was burning off quickly. And leaving the pair realizing their mess, and the weight of the Hood pressing Tim into the soft bed became instantly unbearable.

"You're heavy-- get off me you big oaf," Jason rolled over, and plopped on the bed. Pressing his palm over his eyes. 

"Don't pass out, were a mess," Tim said a breath from his face, and Jason cracked an eyelid between opened fingers to see his beautiful eyes. 

"Prettybird," Jason hummed out in exhaustion. Tim shook his head, but his smile was fond. 

"If people knew the real Team Red they wouldn't know what to do,"

"We are real while we're out there too, they couldn't handle the fact we can be human too--" Tim shrugged, tracing his fingers down through their mess. Jason shivered. 

"I guess so. I didn't think I'd ever fall in love though,"

"Hard not to love you," Jason admitted, sitting up enough to press his lips into a bit of exposed shoulder. 

"What if you are really sick though Jay? I think my greatest fear now is losing you," Jason's heart ached. 

"Well-- good thing I have a family of detectives to work out what's wrong with me. I'll try not to be a prick about all this stuff okay? I maybe didn't realize how upset you were about it." Tim rolled his eyes, but Jason could tell those words had eased some stress from Tim's body. "I'm not going to leave you okay?" He added, knowing how Tim felt about such things, how he didn't like to get close to anyone for that very reason. 

"Does the Red Hood keep his promises as much as his threats?" Jason kissed his lips, pulling back to offer the best response he could.

"Damn straight he does-- now grab the ice cream before Alfred murders us. We should finish it up, then sleep for once,"


	5. Chapter Five

"Did you take Dick's ice cream?" Damian had his head peered innocently (for a kid and not being that it was Damian Wayne) into Tim's room around dinner time. Jason, who was well hidden under the covers and also being smothered by a pillow with a sharp elbow to keep him quiet from laughing. He could barely believe that this happened. They had tried to be careful, but after having entertained one another for more hours than they should have. The fact they had passed out in bed together-- naked-- and clearly comfortable in it should have been a higher priority to avoid while here in the Manor.

"Actually I did, but I didn't know it was his. I don't normally indulge in that kind of food. I'll replace it," Tim offered with a sleepy smile, hoping that would pacify Damian so he didn't linger any longer or start a fight like he usually did with Tim.

"Yeah-- okay. That's acceptable. I will keep your secret for now Timothy," and with a click of the door Tim plopped sideways with a groan. Jason recovered his head with an exaggerated breath of air just to make him feel bad. Before rolling on top of him, peppering kisses down his sternum. 

"Shut up-- you are so dramatic," Tim looked grumpy, and Jason felt the irony in the switched roles. 

"I always forget how unbearable you are after you wake up. Coffee, and dinner hopefully to cheer you back up," Jason brushed a kiss to his cheek, and rolled himself out of bed and into the shower. 

Patrol wouldn't be missed tonight. Jason had a list of Intel to gather on his own cases, and he was determined to get more involved in the Joker case no matter Batman had made a strong point to keep them all out of it. Well. The Batman can try to keep all his Robins out of his hair, but they were four on one. They stood a chance right? Maybe Jason should rope Babs and Alfred in too. 

Jason was geared up and on the roof tops before anyone else. It was early in the day, but he had his bike if he needed to get anywhere quicker. The rounds right at dusk had filled him in on what he missed yesterday. The girls were always working certain corners, and Jason knew what they liked to snack on. Bringing them sweet treats for leads on shit in his territory was a huge win. He liked them too. Sometimes stayed around longer than necessary wearing the domino and smoking some weed when the night was quiet. They all had different storie. Most of them were smart-- college grads who found themselves in the wrong pockets of people others were born on the streets like he was. Jason didn't pretend he was there to turn their life around because you really couldn't ever remove this kinda history you have with the streets. But he made a point to check in on them and be sure their Don's knew that if he saw one fucking bruise he was shooting someone. 

His Joker Intel gathering had to be sneaky. Bruce didn't really get involved with his way of doing things, so he took advantage to actually _speak_ to those higher ups in his drug rings Jason had full controlled over instead of dropping in to scare them. The meeting was set for an early eight pm so it wouldn't rouse suspicion, and so Jason could get back on the streets. He came overly prepared because these people were tough son's of bitches and trigger happy. He had spent during the early morning while Tim was sleeping to rig the place to blow up if they pissed him off. It was a controlled blast to take down the outer building around them-- to shake em up and remind them who was the fucking Boss. So long as they stayed inside the meeting room which was located dead center of the main floor and an old reception area to the apartment complex-- they would probably live-- _probably_. Along with his twin pistols he also had a shotgun strapped to his back, and at least twenty throwing knives. The majority of the crime families put up with him. There had been plenty of assassination attempts, and Red Hood was a wanted criminal in Gotham in general. But numbers didn't lie. Jason didn't care about them selling or dealing. He just wanted his rules followed or people lost fingers, but regardless. His way worked. And they learned to just follow along.

"Gentlemen, and Ladies--" Red Hood's helmet shrouded his voice into a stronger tone that mocked Batman's. Jason's armor was better prepared for a shoot out should one happen. He landed in what appeared riot gear onto a crate-- dropping from the ceiling while they were all milling about looking nervous. They hadn't seen him coming, and he took advantage with another hard leap he landed a few feet from their grouped position. His Red Hood was scratched and dented up. Appearing battle worn. It was, technically, but Jason also kept it in perfect shape 'under the Hood' by way of tech. The aesthetic of the hood in bad shape was more for appearances. 

"Boss-- we got that shit you asked for," Jason smirked at the closest person. It felt good to see them uncomfortable. Of anything the Batman had taught him was that fear could work as a motivator, Jason just also liked the business aspect of it. Yeah, he had a lot of dirty money. But he used it for his part of the city-- if Batman just looked into it more he'd see most of the restorations and road work were funded by one of Jason's alias'.  

"Let me have it," the envelope was cut open with one of his blades. 

"Has anyone in this room been dealing this new drug?" The woman wearing a red, suit with a bullet proof vest and strapped impressive sword to her back stepped forward. Smoking a cigarette, and appearing not nervous, but-- Jason narrowed his lens on her. Reading her cues. The sweaty palms, and tremor to her lip. The crinkle to her eyes, and indention worried in her bottom lip making it flush-- were all minor signs of distress. 

"Listen Red, these people bringing in this drug. They where masks, like Joker's goons. The animal ones. No one here wants to say anything cause he's got shit on all of us. It's like a Harvey Dent situation all over again," she took a long drag, fluttering smoke around her cheeks. "They are bringing it in very small quantities. Targeting very specific people. We all think it's testing. Haven't gotten our hands on it except that little sample in your hand." Jason looked at the small baggy of green crystal. 

"Why can't we get anymore?" Hood asked the group, and they all looked at one another before another spoke. The large man was suited up in a bullet proof vest, and appearing like a dirty cop. With greasy hair, and what was probably dusted food on his chest and caught in his glorious mustache.  _Gross._

"The people using it don't remember who they talked too cause of the masks. They hallucinate that a fucking rabbit sold it to them," 

Damn. That makes sense. Jason tucked the small bag into his inside jacket pocket. Reaching out to snag their reports off the table, reading them over and cataloging through his helmet lens to review on the computer later. 

"Is it cutting into all your profits? Do we know how much they are selling it for?" Jason asked the money question only too see the over all affect on the group of criminals. It was instant. The rage. The anger. Fists curled across the board, and frustration filled all their faces into subtle snarls even if they tried to hide it. Jason smirked under the Hood. "Nothing? You just don't know,"

"We told you, these people are unreliable,"

"Well-- then that's a problem for me to help with. We capture one of these goons-- I'm alerted. Find your most trusted, and see if they can get a deal while appearing an addict," The Red Hood could feel them getting twitchy, and that almost always ended in a gun fire. He kept his cool best he could himself-- giving orders to so many bosses always made for arguments. Bruce knew about the new drugs but hadn't been able to acquire anything but a blood sample from a vic who OD'd near his main part of town and Harvey caught wind of it. Their blood contained warped isotopes from Joker's Gas and Scarecrows Fear Toxin, but nothing was conclusive. It seemed to be a combination of a few recreational drugs as well. Who ever designed this-- made it to kill. Those who got too hooked on it never survived long, and they were clearly out of their mind before anyone could get a lick of information out of them. 

Jason was convinced because it was hitting his part of Gotham the hardest. Killing those easily forgettable people was why Joker picked here to test it out. He wanted Jason mad. Wanted to see what he would do...A chime of familiar beeps filled around them, and Jason had two seconds to wrap his large wingspan around the woman and two other people-- and dive under the table when all the rigged explosives took out the entire building. Silence filled him. A suspended twilight moment while Jason's ears were ringing. The helmet had protected most of the sound, but the weight of part of the building resided near his left arm. He scrambled up, hulling the ceiling piece out of the way sending dust and debris off his back and shoulders. Everyone looked alive. At least, they were accounted for. Shook up, and some were wounded, but Jason was more concerned about the structural support of the center room they were trapped in. Good thing they all came with armor and weapons. At least he wasn't entirely with civilians right now. 

"What happened?" He was demanded at. Jason pulled out a gun, leveling it on the forehead of the man who starting reaching for his own gun out of his state of shock.

"Everyone calm the fuck down and focus. Draw your weapons. We are clearly not alone," that perked them up, drew them from the hammering chaos that the explosion caused and reverted them back to their core selves. Various weapons were pulled out, the familiar sounds of 'suiting' up filling the crumbled place. Jason took only one second to smile that he had been correct in his math on this room surviving that blast.

"We move now--" Jason swept towards the door leading out to the back. Sparks flew down from the shattered overhead lights of the abandoned apartment complex. The beams groaned in protest to the weight from the five floors above, Jason figured they had maybe ten minutes to escape before it collapsed.

"Red Robin you there?" He only tapped into Tim's comm. Not wanting him worrying from the explosion, but also not wanting anyone to know who he was with right now.

"What's going on? Are you on sight of the explosion. I am with Batman now, we are in route. What is..."

Dammit. He turned off his comm, tightening his grip around his pistol before drawing his other. Fire kicked up in it's heat in the north corner from the broken fuse box. He could feel all their eyes on him. Some leader right? The worse of the worse in the drug trade had his back right now-- and them? Well they were determined to believe Red Hood would save them from this mess before the Batman showed up. 

"Alright listen up, we move in twos down this hallway. We have to get to the back boiler room before it's overrun in flames," smoke was filling the hallway quickly, Jason took advantage of his speech to bar the door from the room they just left from to keep most of the fire in there out of their way. "There is a service elevator that will take us down to the maintenance space. There is a grate leading into the sewer and we can escape without **anyone** knowing we were here. Got it? That's the plan-- anyone against it. I will shove you into the fire and let your corpse burn," Jason looked around, nodding that there wasn't any opposition. "And there's something I'm reading in here. Just. Stay alert. If someone is in the wreckage. Shoot their legs so we can still run. Escape is our highest priority." 

Jason tailed the back end of the line. Shoving a few of them (to release some pent up anger) to move faster when the back half of the room they had been talking in crumbled with a groan of beams and the room above them crashed a sink and kitchen steps away from Jason's heels. The hallway was intact for the most part, but the lights had been torn right from the ceiling. Floor tiles cracked and split into pieces under their various footwear, but the group were moving quickly regardless of their physical state. The fire was the biggest problem next to the place crushing them all. It was moving well until his comm cracked to life distracting him. Tim had broke into his feed, and his voice was subtly breathless like he was panicking but under the perfect guise of Red Robin if was shrouded. He could hear the wind from outside.

"Hood report. I am outside the building. The fire department won't make a move to enter it until they can get the fires to die down. Where are you?" 

"Babybird now is not a good time," he growled out, ducking a horse faced goon who snarled out of the wreckage like a hungry zombie. The butchers knife met the drywall. Jason landed an elbow on their collarbone, twisting around to back hand them hard enough to drop them unconscious on the ground. Another emerged, swarming out of the doorway of offices broken down, squeezing through the smallest positions. Their faces were twisted in those Joker smiles and Jason lifted his guns up-- contemplation of what to do filtering through his head when the first three shots went off from instinct. 

Jason shot the ones racing towards them down the hallway, their screeching-- bubbling laughter a horrible nightmare Jason was feeling through his soul. What was this? Their movements were erratic. High like they were on drugs-- twitching muscles, and non stop laughing. They moved like marionettes, falling on their faces, and crawling when they couldn't move properly. He elbowed another goon who seemed to be rallying these zombie like humans to chase them. Jason shoved at the back of one of the dealer. Not making to command in case he was being listened in on. Watching them run towards the elevator gave him a satisfying feeling. They graced him with actually looking like they would wait for him, but two of them flicked him off with a grin when the door closed. He waved them off. _Cowards and pricks the lot of 'em._

"Red Hood what is your position." Batman's voice filled his helmet which was always a rarity. Batman didn't want people to pick up that they were connected or working together. It always made him think about all the times he allowed Nightwing to be hurt in a situation without people piecing together that he had once been Robin. Jason would have said something sarcastic and rude back but he had a knife cutting near his throat, and his back shoved pinned into the wall by five of these _things_. He shot at their calves, non-lethal and hoped to slow them down. Grabbing the rest roughly, and throwing them off him to deliver proper rounds of rubber bullets. Extracting his shot gun once his arms were free, the spread of rubber bullets would aid in the riot of laughing monsters. He released multiple shots, the gun holding six rounds. He paused to kick out roughly to the chest of a lamb faced goon, the fire hot now-- making his jacket leather bubble and split under it's heat. He had enough clean air in his helmet to give him a minute tops. 

"Zombie like Joker gas on people in here. Flames are getting worse. Making my way up to get some height on this."

"Why were you there?"

"To be honest Batman I rigged the place to blow myself. Someone else tripped it. I do good work so, I have about three minutes to get out of here before it collapses, one minute before I can't breathe anymore-- can this wait?" He released several more shots of his shotgun after reloading, taking down the closest around him. With a hard grapple-- he was climbing up the elevator shaft, grappling and leaping to get above the flames at the bottom racing upwards from the freed up shaft to seek the rich oxygen at the top. He hoped they had gotten out from the bottom. He'd find out. Batman was clearly not watching the sewers and more focused on his position. The heat was following him, and it was getting a little hard to breathe in the helmet after that minute marker ticked over. Jason broke through the top floor door, bracing his feet on either side of the closed elevator to hull it open enough to see a better escape. The building was crumbling. On it's side, pieces of entire floors were colliding in on themselves. All of Gotham could be seen now. Jason ran. Took to leaping up out of a window to beat the final collapse. He had left his hook in the elevator, and really he should have pictured this moment. Flying without a net. Without a line. _Ok. Not flying._ Falling. But there was this knowing that...

Batman's arm hooked around his middle. Jason's body lurched at the contact, feeling his ribs bruise instantly from the momentum and stopping motion even with the swing. They landed on the roof of a near by building. Jason sat down on the gravel, watching the flames consume the old apartment building and rattle it to a flattened ending sending a mushroom cloud of debris into the air. Well Jason has a new place now to build something nicer that can be affordable for his people. Win. Win for tonight for the Red Hood.

"There were Joker's goons in there," he said without getting up. He did unlatch his hood, taking a desperate clean breath of air. Batman remained stoic on the crowned edge looking down. Cape long behind him, a frown marking his lips. 

"Why did you rig it?"

"I have buildings rigged all over,"

"Why?" Batman demanded quite aggressively, and Jason had to stand up so he didn't feel like he was that little boy stealing Batman's tires. 

"I work with bad people-- I have precautions and I also have plans to better these places. I was in there checking on the wiring and someone hacked into my frequency and blew it up while I was working. It's nothing new-- people wanting me dead Batman,"

Batman didn't comment further, but Jason knew he was working out what was the in between Jason's words. Wanting to believe he was lying-- _when he was._ Jason had to distract him. 

"Listen, those goons were in there. Jokers. It was probably a message like always, wanted me to know he could hurt my people if he wanted. I'd suggest help if we can spare the chance of being seen together, Red Robin and I should disarm all the other two bombs I have rigged up. I'd not blow up a building with people in it Batman-- but sometimes the homeless are there and unaccounted for. We need to check," _There. Well put Jason._

"I approve this, get started now,"

"Yes _sir_ ," Jason didn't thank the lift from his fall, or the fact Tim was standing right behind him and not saying anything. He turned, and replaced his helmet. Dusting off the ash from his ruined leather jacket and walked to the other end of the building. Red Robin right behind him. 

"There isn't any other buildings," Tim said the second they were halfway across town. 

"No,"

"Why do you always lie to him?"

"Cause he pisses me off. He shouldn't have been there. I was working-- it's my district," 

Tim followed silently. Their boots hitting gravel of rooftop to rooftop until Jason slipped into a warehouse window, and slid down a wooden pole to land swiftly on the bottom once they knew they weren't being tailed. The place was filled in old equipment stripped away with parts by the poor. It appeared a graveyard of metal and rust. Jason liked it here-- just had to be careful you didn't cut yourself on anything. Shit was riddled with stuff he didn't want to think about. He tugged on a handle to an old compressor, the steam from the secret machine rested inside of it open a floor board barely enough to fit him in armor. Jason jumped straight down, Tim right behind him. Jason closed up everything. The room was lined in ten inch thick iron walls. It was impossible for Superman to find him here, and the computer Tim had designed for him. It was their secret space, and he knew as all things eventually Batman would find it. They'd come down here and there he would be. Sitting there brooding that they had did all this without him knowing. Of course, Jason liked to imagine Batman stuck in the opening like Winnie the Poo-- but he could dream the dream. 

"Give me your helmet," Jason handed it to Tim who had a small screw driver and plopped down to work on the sensors in there. Batman kept rigging Jason's helmets with health monitoring. His worrying was meddlesome, and Jason had all but given up trying to get them all off him. But Tim knew where to look, and he had the small tracker already dismantled before Jason pulled out a slide for the drugs. 

"Is that what I think it is,"

"Yeah-- got it tonight," Jason opened the bag carefully, pulling a piece of the bright green crystal with a pair of tweezers to begin testing. 

"Why wouldn't you tell him-- Jason, god-- you are so stubborn," Tim's voice lingered in disapproval, and Jason couldn't help but be fond of it.

"Listen babe, I want to tell him. I will. I just wanted to give him all my notes at once. He always thinks my way can't work and he's wrong. I can do good work too. And you know how adamant he is about staying off the Joker case. He should learn to let us help more--" 

He said too much like he always did when Tim was around. Tim's silence was reward for Jason being too honest, he moved to the computer, lingering a drag of fingers over his cheek before typing away. They worked in that silence. The various machines spitting out reports, and after a hour Jason leaned back in his chair. Stretching his arms to jar the bruises on his one side from Batman's catch mid fall. _Not that he was thinking about that again._

"Come on-- there are a few places I need to check on. Batman is probably on site of the building trying to help the police find those bodies," Tim looked over from the eerie green hue of the computer screens. His domino lens' were down, but he was still in full gear. Jason thought he appeared so fucking gorgeous, how did anyone not snatch Tim up for themselves? 

"You are sure there were people attacking you there right?" Tim asked the question Jason was asking himself since he left the place. 

"Sure hope he finds bodies Timmy," Tim nodded sadly, pushing up from the computer chair to grab his gear. 

"The machine needs a few hours anyway," he said while hulling himself up the hole in the floor. He closed up their space, placing the Red Hood back on. They took off into the night. Sticking to the rooftops so no one saw them working together. He did have buildings rigged, but not with explosives as he had stated. They were filled with spy gear, recording conversations, and filling his computer with information. There were only two buildings that had explosives and there wasn't anyway the Joker figured it out. If he had they would have gone off at the same time as the other. They weren't on the same frequency, so it would take a little more work to discover their location. Red Hood wasn't going to visit said locations in case someone was watching him tonight. He had been risky to go to their bunker, but having Red Robin with him was the perfect companion to deal with any other trouble. 

He got his sights on one of the boss' from their apartment. Taking a shower from the looks of it. They would be smart and not talk about what went down-- they didn't want their lower level men knowing the Red Hood controlled their Boss'. But if that large oaf made it the rest did. _Good_. Jason crouched down, hooking his knee to the edge with a pair of binoculars towards another building. 

"This is where it was found," he said to Red Robin who was on lookout. "No other drug addicts. The building is actually decent for this part of town." Jason cataloged faces through the lens so the computer could map out all their identities. Tim responded,

"Batman just reported in. He said there were at least a dozen dead from the collapse. All burned pretty badly, but it appears they were in animal masks and various showed signs of Joker's Gas being the root cause of death,"

"Good and bad news all in one," Jason dryly commented, "He probably thought I killed them."

"He didn't," 

"Yeah right, I wonder how relived he was that there weren't actual bullet rounds in their bodies," 

" _Yeah_ \-- you're probably right," Tim sighed. Jason and Bruce fighting was just what it was. They always showed they cared and loved each other. But there would forever be a hostility between them, trust too thin ever since Jason crossed the line and earned a death tally that deserved to put him away. No matter it was bad people who really deserved it. 

"Come on, lets set up some camera's. We can record this area for the next few days. See if there is any other activity," Jason leaped across the small divide, and landed on the roof. Red Robin flew over, the pair quickly setting up the network of wireless camera's and sound recording devices through out the floors. They broke into the apartments that were empty, setting up what they could. After a few hours Batman had request Red Robin back to base and had to leave Jason. He didn't mind. He did take off his Hood and steal a heated kiss though. Tim smacked him pretty hard for that level of stupidity-- the sting on his cheek was worth it. As was the smile Tim was wearing when he flew off. 

The rest of the night was spent in his bomb shelter. 

The computers were running their software, hundreds of faces were being added into his system from the new camera's. Jason wanted everything to be in organized. The problem with this new drug was that the dealers wore those masks. They had human faces. They all had lives outside the Joker's manipulations. One would mess up. Jason was sure of it. All he needed was one familiar marker between someone with the mask and without, to pin point a connection. He yawned. The clock read 5:24am. Comm's didn't work in the bunker, so he knew if anyone was trying to reach him it would only be static. Tim usually took that as him being here-- of course there was a level of panic every time. Jason didn't know how to deal with it any differently. Secrecy was hard enough in Gotham with Batman. He pulled off his gear, the straps of armor falling away to a hunter green t-shirt. Blood caked on his side that he hadn't noticed before. The nick from a blade must have been sharp enough to catch the bare skin under his arm, but the armor tension had kept the wound closed up. 

"Shit--" he tore off his shirt. Revealing the bruised impact of Batman's arm along his side. He tore open a pair of gauze from the first aid kit. Quickly pressing the military grade object to the incision. He settled into the chair, applying pressure and wanting to sleep. This always happened. Running on adrenaline for hours and not entirely cataloging the beat up state of his body drew him to exhaustion. He was reminded that he was involved in an explosion tonight-- and burns along his skin was noticed when he cracked his eyes. A throb of familiar pain surfaced in the lower part of his head again, reminding him that they were still working on what was going on with him on top of everything else. He pulled the gauze back, the small wound had clotted and stopped bleeding thankfully. He'd bandage it and his ribs up and let it heal properly. Jason leaned forward, typing on the computer to pull up the results from his tests. He hadn't given it thought to look. Trusted Alfred deeply to speak to him about it all-- but something was bothering him. Instinct telling him maybe the Bat family thrived on lying to each other more than being a team. It would take a little time to hack into the batcave computer, but with Tim's system going up against Tim's system-- he was confident. 

"What the fuck--" he scrolled through the documentation once he was in. Tim would see his hack into the cave computers through alerts. And he was waiting for his voice to chime through the computer telling him he's being stupid for connecting their unit up to it. But he couldn't stop reading...because that wasn't what was wrong right? Maybe Alfred did know. Did Bruce? Jason started frantically deleting everything. Massively dropping all his files in a paranoid determination to rid all the evidence. He didn't even back it up. Just started obliterating it. Tim finally took over the computer. Jason's panic ten-folded to the point he actually snarled when he couldn't move the cursor.

"Give me back control!" he screamed, slamming his fists on the table rattling all the monitors. 

"What are you doing, there's a virus-- did you do this?! What are you doing?! Batman shoved me on the computer thinking were being hacked and its you,"

Jason typed over speaking, slipping back around what Tim was putting up enough to extract the other files. He figured they were thinking he was pulling case files, and he made it seem that way but he was still deleting all his tests. The blood work. The scans. All the information Bruce had gathered without his permission. His heart was pounding. Feeling crazed when Tim realized what he was doing he deleted the last bit, sending a worm to dive into a different backup code to devour anything left behind. 

"Jason-- stop! What are you doing!" Batman's voice was coming through the comms, muffled by Tim's breathing from the headset he had on. Jason shut the computer down. Pulled all the plugs, and the blackness of the room without the hue of green monitors sent him into a shuttered silence. 

_What's the Root of Your Fear Jason Todd_

"Shut up--"

_I asked you that question so long ago. You remember? HO HOHOO I thought I had hit you too hard in the noggin to answer Uncle Joker-- but you told me what it was._

"Get out of my head!" 

_I'm not even there! You are doing this to yourself. Or well. Maybe that knife had a little something special laced on it._

"You're not here. Lies. No one knows about this space."

_Who needs to know about the space when I never left your head? Come on broken-birdy. Tell me TELL ME hAHAHAHAHA_

Jason clenched his hands. The darkness so pitch he couldn't see anything. He let it consume his senses, taking calming breaths. 

_Tick tock Tick tock Tick tock Tick tock Tick tock no? Still no answer. Fine-- you are such a spoil sport._

Jason reached up to the exit, dismantling the door locks and leaped out of it. He was greatly exposed, bandages around his ribs, and chest. All his weapons left in the bunker, but he couldn't stay in there. He closed up and moved down to the docks. Situating himself against one the large shipping containers. Eyes on the dirty water of Gotham bay. 

_You realize what this means now right?_

A snarl caught his lip, looking over to see the Joker resting happily on the top of the container. Jason knew he wasn't here. That he was seeing him as some demented delusion, but he couldn't deny that he felt real. Pulling right out of his head but in the current state of the Joker. Back then the clown had pasty skin and green hair-- but that was before the Joker had cut off his face. Had Jason seen only this mirage that day in the bank? Tim had said he hadn't seen the Joker at all-- with how quick he had disappeared on the roof maybe that had been all in his head. 

"Yes--" he responded much to his insanity. 

_You think they will work it out? You deleting everything will only make them come down hard on you. Last time they TOOK YOU! hahahaHAHAHA  
Will you even be Jason Todd once they work it out? hOhOHO hhahaHAHA Batman won't know what to do! This is exciting isn't it! ISN'T IT!!! _

Jason winced. _He wasn't there._ Jason closed his eyes, wrapping an arm around his waist to cradle his sore ribs so he could lean heavier back. If he got hit with something from that blade he was hallucinating. He had to realize and believe that. Tim was probably being grilled from Batman about the location of Jason, he was hopeful Tim would hold his own and not reveal their spot. At least. Having the full force of an angry Batman might present a challenge for his lover, but he couldn't think about that right now. All Jason could think about was what he saw about his health. They wouldn't know. His family. Tala would. She had preformed every test known to man on him after she found him. But they didn't know Jason in that time. Just like Tim had said, they didn't contain any data points from the time after his resurrection. 

_Lost in your head?_

The cackled voice made him slip down onto the ground. Resting his head into his knees. Trying to not lose it. 

"Look at you! Oh!! It will be JUST LIKE BEFORE! I have looked forward to our reunion. Where's your mask little birdy? ITS NO FUN WITHOUT THE MASK!"

Jason looked up and for the first time he didn't know if the Joker was here or not. He sounded different. Was wearing his skin like a stretched mask over his face, pins holding back the rotting flesh. He got up, eyes predatory on the figure he was seeing. Fists curled by his sides. 

"Oh myyyyy. You have no idea what is happening! This is AMAZING! You should see yourself from my point of view!" Joker moved across the top of the container. Jason's fingers itched for a weapon, but he wasn't afraid to make this a hands on fight.

"Ill kill you this time," Jason promised, Joker laughed. Appearing in double somewhere else, then in three and four every time Jason blinked he was cloned. He felt crazy. His heart rate was elevated, pupils dilated, and blood pressure raised to make his breathing difficult. _He wasn't afraid. He wasn't afraid._ Joker appeared right before him. The world shifted sideways. Making everything bent like he had been tossed into a fun house mirror. Jason focused only on the clown face, felt the solid arm of the Joker collide with his chest and slam him back against the container. Jason had his hand around his throat-- squeezing it tightly but the Joker didn't seem phased. He felt solid-- but like what happened before with the shipping guards Jason didn't know if this was someone innocent and he was seeing things again or if this was really the Joker. Two more sets of Joker hands had him pushed tighter to the container. Holding down his arms and legs, and the laughing. Jason tried to stay battle ready. To remain calm-- clear minded. But they were pushing on his face, shoving his head to the side. Their laughing was all he could hear-- their strength in hold not breakable. He tried to shift, to struggle out of it but it seemed once he broke one hand another replaced it until he was being smothered in Jokers. The world swirled into bright greens and strange angled shapes. He closed his eyes so he didn't succumb to the madness. 

But then he screamed.

The hot sheering of metal to skin on his cheek tearing an awful noise out of Jason. When the metal pulled away he could smell his cooked flesh, the skin stuck to the brand pealed the very few top layers of his skin away. Jason's body instantly slipped into shock, but had training in this. Flashbacks triggered. But he only breathed heavily through his nose. Staying conscious. Hazel eyes open and dark on the one Joker now smiling an inch from his face. 

"I'm reallll. You are just part of my game broken birdy. Now no hiding from Uncle Joker--" Joker gripped his chin, his breath rank and reeked of death to look at the brand. Jason didn't move. Wanting the Joker to speak more, learn more. "Joker got your tongue?  Bats will be too late on this one too. ITS TOO MUCH FUN! Torturing him with the death of his family...one. by. one."

"Leave the others out of this--" Jason threatened deeply, the spoken words sending a hot burn of pain across his face. Joker raised a brow then chuckled with a clap of his hands in release. 

"Okay! You convinced me. **Only you then**." Joker spoke the final three words darkly in tone. "Just like OLD TIMES!" Jason staggered only a second before standing ready. Joker strolled backwards, hands up like he would surrender. 

"Only me then," Jason repeated. Joker gleamed. And with a shot of green smoke was gone. The other mirages faded, the world twisted making him have to close his eyes again. Shit. Shit. DAMMIT!

Jason turned a punched the container as anger shot up his spine, igniting every cell of energy he had left. He regretted the crunch of bones to his fingers but the pain there at least took away the burn on his face. Fatigue and shock from all the pain was catching up, and he knew he risked too much being in the open. The sun was coming up as well. Pushing away after a few needed minutes he opened a keypad on a container to retrieve his bike. Bringing it to life, without a helmet he look off down the docks. Having it set on auto pilot to the Penthouse. He leaned forward on the handles. Determined not to fall off. The second he pulled up Red Robin was already there, probably having hacked into the bike his arm hooked under Jason's to lift him off the bike and leaned him against the shed to hide the bike.

"Jason--" Batman landed right by their side. 

"Maybe I need to fill you both in on what really happened the day I died,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 9/11 note-- Hello! Hope you all are enjoying this! I'm wrapping up the next chapter today it's very violent in the beginning, with some body horror so be ready and stay safe. (Dammit joker!) comments are so well loved. Please say anything your hearts desire. I'm hoping this will all be wrapped up in about four-five more chapters. Cheers!


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please stay safe with this chapter alright? It's pretty bad.

_Part Flashback_

"If they wrote a story about this Robin-- What do you think they would write about?" Jokers happy-go-happy voice carried through the echoed, and empty warehouse. The whimpering from his Mother responded, but Jason refused to look up. Hunched forward in the chains holding most of his weight. He dangled like a piece of meat. A gentle spin turning the floors in a dizzy circle. He had refused to succumb to the darkness his body was desperate for after so many minutes of being beaten to an edge of his life. The blood cut off to his hands had gone on for so long that they had taken on a purplish hue. He tried to stretch his fingers to release the pooled tension around his wrists, but the knot had been too tight to achieve any relief. Joker had plopped down on the floor, squeezing the woman's cheeks to make her lips pinch like a fish out of water-- she was sobbing again. Jason actually wished he'd shut her up, but apart of him wanted to demand for Joker to let her go. Not that any plea had worked.

"You are angry?" Joker's cruel laugh filled out around those words.

"Yes--" he grunted out weakly, an ooze of blood and spit coating his partially broken jaw in a trailed line to hit the floor. 

"Alright--fineee we write the story like this," Joker's eyes grew wide, striking the resemblance of an announcer at Haly's Circus in exaggerate posing. "ROBIN! NEW BOY WONDER CREATED BY THE JOKER! Has quite the ring to it doesn't it?" He spread his hands wide in delivery-- giving Jason a side eye for approval.

"You...didn't," he grit his teeth even though a pain shot up the side of his face, tears blurred his vision of the floor. "Didn't.." He finished weakly. 

"You hear him? HAhaHAHAHA! Let's move this along!" A gun went off. The explosion violent and shook Jason from his delirious state. He lifted his eyes to see the clean shot right through her head. So many things filled his own. But now she laid crumbled in his lap like a pet dog. Rapid thoughts short fired in the teen. Another parent gone-- just like that, yanked out and taken from him again. Joker was muttering non sense, combing brains from her hair, but the frightening tilt of his head had given him a decent view of Jason's shock. Like he knew it was coming. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Jason shook. His lips trembled, and he tried not too. Could hear Batman's advice while dealing with these psychos-- god how badly he wished he'd come through the ceiling. Save him... but those previous caught tears cascaded down readily over his bruised cheeks. 

"OH! OH! OH! Look at that, finally! The beginning of the second act as BEGUN! HAHAhhaha HAHAHAHAHA," Joker shoved the body off his lap, skipping towards Jason to pause his subtle spin so he could better look him in the eye.

"Little broken birdyyyy-- flew the nest too earlyyy-- he fell out of bed!" Joker released his restraints. The ropes falling away entirely. Jason collided with the floor with bruising clarity. He growled out at the explosion of pins and needles up his legs. Demanding his body to work! _Run! GET UP! Dammit you are free!!_ Joker wrapped a hand around his neck and dragged him towards the center of the room. The tips of his boots caught along the pooling blood from his Mother's head to drag in two racing stripes into the dirt and grime. Jason could barely curl a hand around Jokers wrists.

"What was the part? OH RIGHT! He fell out of beddddd and BUMPED HIS HEAD! HAHAHAHAhAhaha--" Joker tossed him to the ground with a hard kick to the side of his face, the scrap of the crowbar caught along the loose, broken tiles of the floor. Jason tried to push up again. But his hands couldn't handle the pressure. He shook them. Using his elbows to lift up. Determined to get up!! Joker cracked the weapon into the side of his temple. The world exploded into white. Jason dropped instantly. His eyes hazing from view, and threatened darkness swept over him like a comforting blanket. 

"Hey! I SAID HEY!!" Joker grabbed the front of his Robin uniform and screamed in his face. Jason's entire body lurched and jumped in fright when his vision focused on the painted faced clown. Pupils dialating and refocusing. "Don't pass outtt, it's so boring! Didn't the Bats teach you better manners?" 

"Fuck...you," 

"THERE'S THE SPUNK! I have a gift for you," Joker dropped him, moving around to the other side. Jason braced himself for impact, and it struck down on his left side-- shattering the other two ribs that had somehow stayed in tact. He screamed again when it came down four more times-- muttering the only mantra he had to stay awake. _He's coming. He's coming._ Joker beat him him again-- again-- again. Each collision of the metal to his body further dampened his pain sensors until the last hit to his cheekbone, the metal hook carved a deep line into his cheek. Jason gagged at the horror of it-- the flesh pealing open and flapping off his cheek. Joker paused then. Laughing muted only to turn him over, straddling his waist to better look at it. 

"Would you look at that! Almost a perfect J! FOR YOU AND ME! Does it infuriate you that I know who you are? Secrets out of the bag! OOPS! HAHA, though I do like you in a mask. That is a plus! Makes the game fun! But I did make you boy-- remember?! NOT THE BATMAN!!" Joker shook him, Jason's head rattling from the quick movement. "I have always known who you were--" he waved playfully, his weight against the teenagers middle making it additionally hard to breath. Jason was gasping, but Joker was set on talking. Painting white onto his face with a swipe from his own.

"I want to tell you something. See! Your maker can be kind," he was checking the restraints on his wrists, and Jason couldn't even fight anymore. The boy knew what was coming. That this was it. _No! Stop...he was coming._

Jokers face pressed into his own, smearing Jason's blood into the white paint, "fear is something carried in all of us. EVEN ME I SUPPOSE! It can be triggered at anytime. Felt as a shiver!" Joker ran his fingers down Jason's broken face and he did in fact shiver. He tore his face away with a tilt of his head. 

"Oh Oh! As fingers ghosted down the back of your neck! MM! YES YOU FEEL THAT?!" Jason tasted his tears now, slipping freely down his cheeks and lingering against his lips. "To the hammer of your heartbeat...MY! MY! LISTEN TO IT GO!!" Joker pressed his ear to Jason's chest, a cackling laugh sending the clown to leap up and dance around the tied up Robin.

"Fear can be battled. Fought. Lost! Won. It can consume and smother you without a care!" Joker struck him against the head, swinging it like a great baseball bat aiming for a home run-- and the teenager finally, and truly lost it. Feeling all his reserves shatter like a mirror. Joker gleefully danced towards the bomb, laying it right in his dead Mother's hands. "It can be conquered only to leave you wondering when you will feel it again. But it's always there little broken bird.... _No Hood will protect you from it_." Joker set the timer, and moved back over...his conscious shook. The room he was in kept morphing, the Penthouse blending over the warehouse. He swore Batman was here-- he could hear his voice...but that's not how it went. The ticking bomb the trigger.

The TICK TOCK TICK TOCK!

"There is no one truly fearless. NOT EVEN THE BATS! So what is it? Tell Uncle Joker. What is the Root of Your Fear-- Jason Todd?" Joker was leaving him. And Jason was screaming for Batman-- for Bruce-- thrashing with every ounce of energy he had left in the binds that further cut his wrists, and bit into the soft skin of his ankles. The second his hands were free he scrambled towards the door, limping and tugging on the bared object. He heard it. TICK TOCK TICK TOCK. He knew it. Time was literally running out. The boy pressed his face to the door, tears stinging the open wounds to his face. Meshing with blood to coat his lips, and tasted like dead ash on his tongue. Everything hurt to bad. He sobbed. Punching the door with his fists.

"No one wanting me!" he screamed out the door the answer, and dramatically his legs gave out-- the TICK TOCK countdown filling the space. "I am no ones son. No one. I am no one--" He listened. Hope trickled out as one of his wounds, because they all ignited hotly in reminder. Blood pooled under his torn cape, the domino shattered in pieces still clung to his face...and then suddenly like a wash of cold water. Jason laughed. Felt the impulse to chuckle overwhelm him. The expulsion grew-- actually laughing at the hilarity of it all. That this was it. He was dying in three...two...one.

KABOOM

"Jason come back?!" Tim shook him, his feet dragging on the floor. 

"Move him to the living room, it's not Scarecrow's work-- I don't know what's happening," Bruce said immediately and calmly when the secret elevator opened up to the Penthouse. He started removing his cowl and other pieces to his Batman gear he didn't need to work. Tim aided Jason towards the couch since it was the closest object. He was screaming and laughing. Requiring them both to restrain his strong body to keep him from further injuring himself. Bruce settled on the coffee table, a large medical bag by his side when Jason's eyes really opened up. Body stilling so suddenly it was like he was awaking from a nightmare. Jason didn't fight them anymore-- he probably couldn't if he was honest. He focused on keeping his breathing steady so he didn't lose consciousness or worse. Lose complete touch of reality. 

"Jay? Hey-- look here," Bruce's voice was somehow soothing. The old nickname grounded his racing mind. Hazel eyes lingered on the actual face of Bruce and not the Batman. 

"You know where you are?"

"Yes--"

"Okay, I'm going to treat this, and then you are going to explain," Jason felt insane again. Like time was folding in on itself. Batman (no Bruce) wasn't suppose to be here-- not after going back to that day. He hadn't...he never...he didn't. Jason's breathing elevated again. 

"You aren't here--"

"I am,"

"No! You aren't!" Jason made to hook his hands around Bruce's to stop him from touching him, but Tim was restraining him from behind. He barely realized it. His focus so intently on what he was sure wasn't real. All night he had been seeing things, the blurring of realities serving to make him wary and exhausted. The pain electrified his mind into wanted shock, but he couldn't succomb. They wouldn't let him. The burn on cheek was treated first. Bruce making sure it was cooled off before cleaning it. Tim held a cold towel to it with a gentle caress while they looked him over entirely. Making Jason's weight lean completely against his own, wrapping his arms around his shoulders, and cradling him close but securely holding him still. Bruce remained on the table pinching the bride of his nose. His concern felt even in Jason's delirious, and fevered state. 

"Are you going to fight me if I take your blood," Bruce surprisingly asked, and Jason only stared. Concern etched readily over Bruce's face when Jason didn't respond. Maybe realizing that something was really wrong. Noticing his pupils once more were dialated, and Jason's chin dipped against his chest with a sudden resigned reaction. Bruce reached out, but stopped himself short.

"Who am I?" He asked, and Jason blinked at the stupid question. Lifting his eyes from the wrong space. The warehouse teased readily over his enviroment. The spot light on Bruce kept flickering into Joker and back. The drug must have still be in his system, or he was finally losing it. Was he even here? Did Joker have him now and was ready to torment him into insanity?

"Jason-- who am I?!" Bruce's Batman voice jarred him, stealing a sharp inhale and ignited every fight instinct to the point Tim had to brace his spine into an arch to better lock his legs around his waist to hold him back from striking Bruce who didn't flinch. Didn't move at all. 

"Bruce Wayne!"

"Who am I also?" 

"The Batman..." Jason delayed enough, but his eyes moved erratically around the space. Seeing the bomb, seeing his mom. He closed his eyes, shaking his head. Tim parted his lips, not making a sound as he compressed any vocal shutter to his reactions to Jason appearing so mentally broke. He rubbed soothing circles with his thumbs hooked posessively against Jason's chest. 

"You aren't here--" he whispered.

"Where are you?" Bruce asked, not breaking eye contact even though his lids were closed, the ever piercing gaze of Batman was powerful enough to be felt through it. Jason stiffened, and swallowed down the old memory still morphing his surroundings. It was like an echo. Doomed to resurface and repeat it's self. All those times he battled with anger and revenge, and these episodes still surfaced like it was a slow tide and creeping up on his conscious just waiting for the perfect trigger. 

"The warehouse...you. No. No Nononononono," 

"JASON!" He jumped again, jarring old wounds to his ribs that only served to make him remember everything with more clarity. He struck back, colliding his head with Tim's hard enough to loosen the hold. With a hard flip he landed on the otherside of the couch. Hand sliding under the table behind it with a gun in hand-- pointing it at the Joker. 

"Stop it! Get out of my head!" Jason screamed, pacing in steps. He didn't have a gun last time, but he promised he'd kill this son of a bitch the next time he saw him.

 _It's so funny though!_ Joker's voice warped into a playful banter, Jason moved his sights on the moving object. 

"Don't make me think _he's_ here! You promised! You promised they'd stay out of it,"

_Oh come onnnnn. That's so boring. Why would I make such a boring promise? Wait...WAIT did you actually believe I'd keep my promise? ahaHHAHAHA hahaAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA_

"Jason--" Tim's hands were up, Bruce was moving around the otherside. Jason jolted at seeing Tim,

"Babe get out of here! What are you doing here! Get OUT!" His wrists shook, and his conscious shattered. Joker's laugher filled his head again, the clown now resting an elbow on Tim's shoulder-- petting his face like he had his Mother. 

"DONT TOUCH HIM!" Jason shot at the mirage, the bullet going clean through the Joker and embedding into a bookcase.

"HE'S NOT HERE!" Tim shouted, and Jason felt out of body. The world twirling, and fading. Warping into a distortion. He didn't know what was real anymore. What he was seeing. No. _He was losing it._

_Told you I'd break you again._

He inhaled sharply, and tucked the gun under his chin, pushing his feet back to get away from the mirage. He collided into something strong and solid. Bruce's arms wrapped around him, not attempting to remove the gun but hugged him so close he could feel his mentors heartbeat through his back. Bruce pressed his face on the other side of his own.

"Stop it--" he cried, but didn't attempt to make Bruce leave.

"No, you go I go,"

"It's not fair he's not in your head,"

"I'll fix it...I'll help you-- let me save you this time,"

Jason inhaled readily, eyes wide and manic-- and fallen on Tim who was holding it together, but appeared to be in mild shock. 

"You promised--" Tim said so quiet Jason could barely hear it over the raging pounding of his heart. And he remembered then that he had made so many in his short life.

"I did didn't I?" 

"You did. You promised you'd not leave me. You said The Hood doesn't break his promises," Tim walked forward, removing the gun slowly. The end still hot from the previous shot had singed a mark under Jason's scruffy chin. Tim dismantled the weapon in a few moves, leaving it in piece between them. Bruce didn't move. But either did Jason. They all stilled. Allowed everything to still to a frightening quiet. 

Joker's laugh filled slowly and melodically. Jason stiffened.

"Is he here?" Bruce asked, wrapping a better arm around Jason's front in a restraint but Jason was out of fight. 

"Yes--"

"What happened tonight?"

"I was testing the new drug...got a sample," Tim looked sheepish at that, and Bruce made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat at his boys.

"Tim get out of gear, we will be locking down the Penthouse," Tim nodded and ran to the spare master bedroom. Bruce stilled, but didn't let go of Jason. It was strange feeling. His mind didn't know what to do, and yet that constant heart beat and knowing scent of Bruce was enough to keep him grounded and aware that Joker couldn't possibly be here. 

"When he was beating me in the beginning--" Jaosn lowered his eyes, and Bruce's fists curled so tight Jason could see the whites of his knuckles. He shivered as those memories felt fresh on his conscious. "He told me about this plan he had. About how everyone had a single rooted fear that contributed into all the little things that frightened us. He said it was something so obscure...so terrifyingly simple that if he discovered it and manipulated it. They would lose their minds and revert to the only coping mechanism that could battle it-- a laugh," anger ignited, and Jason pulled away only for Bruce to shift his weight and keep him still. 

"He said what the Scarecrow did wasn't enough. It wasn't real enough. Joker wanted this unbeatable. He wanted people to die not because they were scared, but because they couldn't tell what was real anymore. Unlocking that fear...corrupts permanently. You die in a warped peace...laughing."

"Did he discover yours?" Bruce asked instantly, and Jason felt his chest tighten. The room shifted, tears suddenly burning his eyes like they had all those years ago as a teenager way over his head. He could remember the moment he broke so clearly. How Joker had made one promise. That Jason would be the reason for Gotham all dying with laughter because he was patient one. Now with the drugs activating those fears alongside with his Goons terrorizing them instead of torture what was going to happen now?

"Yes," he swallowed. Jason blinked a few times, removing the warehouse he had been in from his immediate sights. Bruce's arms tightened.

"I should have been there--"

"I wish I had stayed dead--" Jason blurted out. Bruce stiffened and pulled back. They all knew it was the constant elephant in the room. All that happened when he got back-- the damage he caused. The level of craze he had hit because of the Pit...but also unknowingly because of how the Joker murdered him. "Me coming back to life-- Whatever he did it's resurfacing. The Pit restored my body, removed the scars, and fixed what had been broken. But--"

"You think that's why you are seeing things? Hallucinating without being drugged--" Tim said walking to the computer to begin searching through what they had. Jason was really tired. Bruce hadn't left his space though, a warm-- solid arm around his back and Jason secretly thanked every God that Dick and Damian were not here to see it. Tim locked down the Penthouse, and sent various messages out through the computer. All the weapons were locked up with just a few spare key strokes, and before Jason really realized how trapped he was-- Bruce let go of him. Jason stood in a dizzying shock to his reality before a smaller hand wrapped in his own. When had Tim gotten up?

"You have to clean up and sleep. We aren't going anywhere," he said with a sad, half attempted smile. 

"Yeah-- okay," Jason agreed, Bruce was in front of the computer. His back facing them as they moved towards the bedroom. 

"Let me yeah?" Tim offered to unhook his belt, and smoke scented pants. The boots were kicked off near the bed. Jason could thrive alone on Tim's fingers on him in anyway. How he lingered to check Jason over obsessively as he helped him into a pair of sweats. He eyed the bed longingly. 

"What he did sent you back to that moment. Were you there?" Jason palmed his neck, nodding instead of answering because he was scared it might resurface again. Tim kissed his chest softly, burrowing his nose into his skin with a gentle hug.

"We're probably out of the bag now huh," Jason diverted. Tim sighed and rolled his eyes. "He grilled me after you deleted all your medical stuff. The only way for me to not give your location away was distracting him with the fact you and me fuck like rabbits." 

"Oh god babe you didn't say it like that did you? You know you mean the world to me-- it's not like that," Tim's smile softened. Jason rubbed the ache along his jaw, the brand had resurfaced a headache. His voice was soft, exhausted. 

"No, I said that I trusted you inexplicably. If you did something-- it was for extremely good reason. That you are brilliant, and tactful. Your plans induce shock and fear into your enemies-- and jar even the Batman no matter how much Bruce refuses to admit it. I told him I loved you, that you'd come here if you needed me. So we left," Jason slipped into a soft cotton shirt. 

"That's some cute words babybird," Tim shook his head, reaching up to touch the line of tape pulled tight over the bandage on his cheek. 

"He will pay for this, it will scar. And I am so sorry for what happened to you," Jason desired to forget this all happened but he'd be lying if the strong desire to put a bullet in his head wasn't the better way to go than insanity. They didn't know about the scans....or the tests. What Jason picked up on and that the great Detective's missed. But Tim posessively kissed him before he could attempt to disappear. His mouth warm and inviting, tasting of coffee from his earlier patrol. Jason's ribs screamed at the soft weight Tim put against him crowding into his space out of habit. Jason wanted to wrap him up tightly, lift his smaller frame off the ground and he'd never admit it but twirl them around like a bunch of assholes in love. But his wince gave Tim enough sense to mutter a breathless sorry, Jason regretfully annoyed. 

"Sleep-- please, we have so much work to do so we can catch him,"

"Kill him," Jason responded being lead to the bed.

"Jason--"

"No babe, I will this time. I have too...I promised him I would,"

"You are just tired ok? Please sleep,"

"Yeah," Jason laid down, knowing the house was on lockdown with Red Robin and Batman was reassuring. He knew Tim would have cameras on Jason while he slept. He knew both Bruce and Tim wouldn't see a lick of rest today even though they both had been up for two days. All Jason cared about was one thing. How good it would feel to put a bullet in Joker's brain-- and then. Well. And then his own if necessary.  


	7. Chapter Seven

Tim was sitting next to him. Jason hadn't spoken many words in days. Tim had computers laid out in the penthouse room, turning the proper place into their own personal bunker. They had went on patrol the night before just to see if it would trigger something better in Jason, but he had only went to work. Dealing with a few issues. Not having any problems or weaknesses in his fighting at all. He just didn't talk much. Lost in his head, and seemed to be thinking about everything without inclusion to the team. Bruce had a heated argument on the phone over Jason refusing to tell him where his bunker was. Tim had to sneak there without either knowing just to power up the computer and connect all their data to the one at the penthouse. Not that he told the stubborn pair. It seemed it better if he worked both sides so they all didn't miss something important. Like he wasn't the teenager. 

Tim had taken up part of the bed with a laptop in hand, brushing his lips lazily to Jason's biceps who was hunched forward reading a few manuscripts from his drug cartel leaders. It was in code, and required him to work through it with a key he had balancing on his lap. Annoyance he had to revert to this archaic method because Bruce was hounding him was evident in small noises of frustration. But Tim didn't let it stop him from staying in his space, even if Jason hadn't so much as looked at him in days.  

"Master Timothy, tea this afternoon?" Alfred had a tray in his hands and Tim nodded, not removing his arm wrapped around Jason's. It had become clear in the last few days that there was something between them, but the nosy Bat Family had kept it quiet for sake of the bomb Jason had once more turned into. Alfred was here for the day to help clean up the place, and fill their freezer with better food than what Tim was ordering in. 

"Thank you," Tim said, offering an unusually sad filled expression that painted him too young. Usually he could make demands, and threaten Jason enough to stir a response Tim wanted from the older man. It wasn't difficult to turn Jason's moods around with a few well placed words, or a possessive touch that made Jason realize he was being off. Tim had tried every trick he had in his book-- less the sex route, so he took to just staying quiet as well. Working. Staying busy-- since all in all it was what he did best. With his brilliant mind and Jason's intuition they could really complete anything. And this Joker plan...Tim wanted to dismantle it entirely. 

"Master Jason, tea for you?" Jason looked over with a tired gaze, then glanced down at the familiar grip on his person. Jason shook his head no, shifting out of the hold and moved towards the bathroom. 

"What are you thinking about sir?" Alfred asked casually, placing a towel on the edge of the sink and getting into Jason's space without a single care if Jason became violent as he had a few times lately. Bruce hadn't been back in their space since the incident before, but Dick had been sleeping on the couch more often than not and had felt the fists from the angry Hood more than a handful of nights. Jason pealed the taped bandage away from his face, washing around the brand that was slowly healing up. The J was perfect in shape, raising in scar tissue. Jason kept it clean and treated for infection, but without a skin graft if wouldn't be able to lessen the mark. He didn't care anymore. It would just be what it was. A reminder of what Joker had claimed when he was just a kid-- that he had been designed by the Joker. Claimed. Marked. Branded-- _his_. 

"Just this case about Joker Alfred, thank you for the towel," Jason said, the noise raw and made Tim jump from the bed. Alfred remained calm, situating himself around the massive bathroom to gather random clothes off the floor. 

"Why?" Tim asked from the doorway, sipping his tea and moving in carefully to sit up on the counter. 

"Something said to me by those guards I beat up. That 'he' knew I'd not kill him," Jason admitted, Alfred was obviously checking on Jason's work, before tutting his tongue and with a decently strong shove had him on the toilet so he could work easier.

"You have been down that path just as we all have. Joker will not get his wish for death from us," Tim said proudly, hoping it was the correct answer since Jason had made it clear the night of the branding that he was in fact going to kill Joker. Jason nodded, but his eyes were getting glassy again.

"You claimed you made a strong promise you would-- so Joker clearly knows of your threat  _now_ correct sir?" Alfred intervened perfectly, moving calmly to wash his hands and grab some shaving equipment. 

"Yes-- that's what's puzzling me. Joker taunting isn't new, but at that time I didn't have all the pieces to what was happening with me. He knows we won't kill him-- old news for the Joker. But then why say that in a message?" Jason stayed where he was, eyeing Alfred's moves with a small twitch of love for their family friend. 

"You clearly are set on not involving your family with those medical details--  _sir_ or we would be able to help," Alfred said with a pointed expression, turning Jason's face gently so he could apply shaving cream where he needed it around the wound, and under his chin. Jason's beard was getting quite out of control. The tension in his shoulders eased into relaxation to Alfred's trusted care. 

"I am not ready for you all getting more into my business than you all already are. The less you know the better it won't be used against us. I have enough on my mind as is Alfred. But that's not the important piece, Joker is targeting small groups of people. Bruce hasn't found any connections with the victims all we know is that they are in fact on this drug, and they are dying laughing over showing signs of fear we _now_  clearly know is the aim. But what if we are missing a connection? It's all in my district. Have we literally connected the dots Tim?"

"With what?" Tim asked, flipping open a screen from his arm brace and combing through the data they had. 

"With the location of the bodies," Alfred turned his face with gentle leading, scraping the sharp blade to Jason's chin. 

"There is a pattern the computer is picking up on but it's fragmented," Tim's face wrinkled in confusion, tucking his leg up on the counter much to Alfreds tut of disapproval. Tim mouthed he was sorry.

"The timing of the drugs activation in our victims vary on what exactly they are hallucinating. If its a fear that invokes running away from said fear-- this could be why our data is off. They are moving to different locations from their initial contact. My people can't get their hands on his drug Tim. They are trying everything, that's what that letter was about roughly. Joker is too good at letting us acquire it less that one sample I am beginning to think was a lure to blow me up in that building, or start trouble for me."

"Why does this all involve you Jason?" Tim asked the difficult question, the one everyone wanted to know. Jason had his theories, but he figured it was the blaringly obvious one that was probably the root of it. 

"I don't know...because I came back to life--I ruined his performance?" he said over the scrap of the blade to his skin. Alfred was working silently, but Jason could tell he was cateloging his own opinions. "Alfred what do you think?"

"I think, Master Jason, that Joker has a plan and we are all following it perfectly if all these events have proved anything. The only advantage we have ever had over him is the semblance of trust and family," Jason stood up, pressing a soft towel into his skin to clean it up. 

"I won't kill him...that was the message. Just like Batman...said I was 'cocky'. That makes no sense," Tim looked confused, but seemed to be typing away on a screen that was hovering in front of his face in a hologram. Jason leaned against the counter so Alfred could dress his cheek wound. Rolling what Alfred said over his head.  

"Which means there wasn't any message from Joker. I'm an idiot. He just found me-- he said he had 'been waiting for this reunion'. He wasn't at the building either Timmy...I don't think he blew that place up," Jason pinched his brow, a brewing headache filling out around his temple and shooting down his spine. The tension Alfred had managed to remove resurfaced slowly. He was handed an aspirin. Alfred pressing a palm to his cheek lovingly before exiting the space. Jason pinched the white pill, rolling it around between his fingers before putting it in his mouth. 

"So who blew you up?"

"That might be what we are missing. All this time I was claiming Joker was behind all this. What if it's two cases getting blended up?" 

"Oh--"

"Yeah, I mean Joker is completely involved. This is his drug and his master plan. But this other shit? Maybe someone is moving in on my terf-- or one of my people stirring trouble for me-- _listen_ ," Jason moved towards Tim, situating between his legs and wrapping his hand over the lifted curve of his knee. The hologram flickered and disappeared. It was just like Jason to pretend his behaviors didn't hurt people-- but he knew they did. Jason couldn't hope to hide his concern this close. He tried so hard to play that bad guy role, but so many people here knew otherwise. The nerd who loved old literature. Who bought Tim flowers, and made Alfred pies and left them on the counter with small notes. Not a lot of people knew how nice Jason's handwriting was, how it curled and scripted beautifully like it had taken place in another time all together. Jason loved his family. And that was why it hurt so much when he pulled away.

"Stop it--" Tim said before he could speak, a hint of worry catching their shared gaze, "you aren't leaving without me. We are a team, and you are stuck with that decision..."

"What-- no, that wasn't it," Jason shook his head. A red hue hitting his tanned cheeks, and making the white streak in his hair fall into his eyes. Tim waited, "Just,"

Tim brushed the hair out of his face, shaking his head lightly. "You and words aren't usually a challenge. You are quiet for days, and now stumbling over them. Bruce use to admire your ability to bullshit your way into high society being nothing more than a street rat," Jason snorted, palming his neck. Kissing Tim's fingers. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm just-- the stuff I deleted. I told you I wouldn't be a prick about it and I was. Got in my head, and then Joker found me so-- I have to tell you what's happening. Only you," Jason kept his voice practiced and low so Alfred didn't hear. Tim's attention widened in concern. 

"Okay-- talk,"

"When Joker killed me, he busted this side of my head pretty bad. I could barely see straight, I mean. I remember screaming at the end, but it's all a blur of movement-- final energy before the bomb went off," Jason admitted, "when Talia found me, I was brain dead. Shit was bad alright? They didn't know it, but I was pretty lost in my head. I could feel certain things but it wasn't complete, I didn't know how to feel much of anything. The Pit fixed it for the most part, changed a bulk of it to anger. But what the story is lacking is about what was in here--" He pointed to his head, gnawing on his tongue and inside cheek. Jason seemed more disappointed than sad and that was the truth in all this. He knew this would probably hurt Tim-- his _family_ more than him. 

"What is back?" Tim asked, 

"This tumor-- it was there while they tried to get me in order mentally. Talia thought it was making me relive things, pressing against old memory sensors, but at the time I couldn't really speak about what was happening in my head. It went away with the pit Timmy, but it's coming back. Just like how I had to start watching my damn blood sugar-- coming back to life doesn't make me immortal or I don't know..." Jason swallowed thickly, his chest ached in a familiar burn of anxcity when it came to being so honest. "It must be part of the plan for me. Maybe if the Joker hadn't gotten me when I was that stupid kid this _thing_ would have eventually," Jason seemed exasperated. Tim sadly shoved him away.

"What are you saying?" 

"I'm saying maybe I was always meant to die in this story Timmy," 

"Fuck you!" Tim moved past him, throwing the cup of tea against the wall. The shatter glass had Alfred rushing in, and Dick (who Jason hadn't realized was back) moved into the hallway to be sure everything was alright. Tim blasted past both of them, Jason on his heels. 

"Be quiet will you! I'm trusting you with this," Tim rounded on him, 

"No! Shut up! You do not say stuff like that alright?" his fingers pointed aggressively, then he sighed. Sitting down at the computer. "I have technology, I'm working on things that can help you-- you fucking stupid man. But this first. Decode your letters from your crime bosses, and work out your mole or whatever it is you do with those types of people. I am going to compile a graph of the victims known locations of death and where we believe they were sold the drugs. See if there is a pattern we can see from above. Dick-- I need you to please visit this Doctor in Boston. Give him this code, and my name and he will give you access to a project I have been working on to get into MIT. And YOU!" He pointed at Jason, who was flanked by both Dick and Alfred and all looking guilty of something. Jason's eyes were wide and concerned, Dick was half dressed, and holding a pillow from the couch as if that was the weapon he had decided upon. And Alfred looked equally affronted to be roped up with the boys, and also mad about the broken tea cup. Tim will need to apologize about the China later. 

"We are not done talking, but we have a case to solve. Goodbye gentlemen," the computer screens took over the penthouse windows, and Tim was abosorbed into the world of bianary code. Dick nudged Jason, 

"What did you do?"

"For once told the truth,"

"Ouch," 

"Shut up big-bird,"

"You two are cozy littlewing, but we all know who runs the show. You are wrapped up," 

"Yeah-- it's the only way this works," with a few quick steps forward, he plucked a daisy from the flowers Alfred had brought in to lively up the place and swept it on Tim's fingers typing frantically away on the keyboards. A dark, crystalline gaze met his challengingly, and Jason fell in love again.

"Love you--"

"Love you too," Tim said taking the flower off his keys, and setting it gently by his side. Jason smirked, but not in tease so much as fondness. 

"You will save the day babybird. Be back later," he said brushing a kiss to his cheek and with long strides walked right out the penthouse. The bike he had stashed away was an on refurbished bat bike from those days he had access to Wayne Enterprises weapons testing. Roy had tricked it out with a few well hidden missle launchers, and various toys that Jason couldn't admit out aloud-- but cried over. Only down side was that Tim could always hack into it, but having a stalker like Tim wasn't ever a bad thing. Jason wasn't going to hide anymore from him. Even if Tim threw China at walls. Hooking his leg over-- he took off into the Gotham streets. He had a few kneecaps to bust tonight. 

\--

"Listen-- someone knew we would be there. All I'm asking is who? It's not hard, you get one leg that works right and maybe a cane for life. You piss me off with another lie, I take out the other one and you are stuck to a chair the rest of your miserable life counting coins at some gas station," Jason was kneeling in a dirty alleyway, his Red Hood gear on-- a pistol to one of his men's kneecap. The not shot one. 

"Hood we don't know what you are going on about? Everyone is saying something different!" 

"How so? Explain-- because two people told me to talk to you."

"It's this drug! It's killing people on one hit in some cases, and everyone be noticing ya know? So not everyone wants to buy it, our sales are going up! There is no complaints from us Boss! We are making more money than we ever have before!" 

"So why do more vic's keep dropping Sonny? The news is all over this, why you letting this clown freak sell on your streets? Something about this drug is enticing enough to want to DIE TAKING IT!" Jason shot his kneecap, the bullet clean and shattering the bones on impact. The man screamed so loud Jason had to press his gloved hand into his face, pinching his cheeks. A snarl left his lips. Jason knew Batman would find out about this, but there was no other way to talk to these men. There was no negotiations less it involved bullets. 

"Because he said you'd not kill us! Said he's calling your bluff on your big bad act! That you softened up!"

Jason' lips twitched into a smirk under the hood. The exact words he needed. 

"How?"

"Charlotte figured you rigged the place to blow so she hijacked the frequency and blew it up with us inside,"

"Why be so stupid?" Jason growled. "She was in there as well." It explained her twitchy and odd behavior.

"Because it proved everything! We all lived. You rigged it right? He said you did, but you didn't want us killed. Then rumors are Batman plucked you out of the sky from your fall and we KNEW! WE KNEW JOKER HADN'T LIED!" Jason pressed the barrel of the gun against his cheek, the urge to release a round into his skull was so strong he shivered to the knowing release it would enact on him.

"You trust a madman over a vigilante-- you are worthless and stupid,"

"You all are mad!" The man's veins were bulging in his neck, pressing his head back against the gun. "Masks, and clowns. All we care about is the money." Jason unhooked his helmet, the pressure from the lock coming loose and removed the object from his head. The man's eyes grew wide a moment, Jason always wore a domino on his face. But the burned J on his cheek was open to see. How raw it looked, and gruesome. With a sharp grit of his teeth he got close to the drug lord's face. 

"Joker is playing you. He's played me of all people before, got one over on me again a few days ago. Last time he did that? He murdered me. So tell me-- are you willing to put all your cards on someone like him? Who convinced one of our own to blow us up to prove a fucking point? He planted those bombs you idiot. Why would I blow myself up?! Don't you get it? You are a pawn to him. With me? You are a business partner." Jason smacked the butt end of the gun to the man's temple, pointing the gun right between his eyes. "I AM THE REASON YOU MAKE MONEY AND ARE NOT IN BLACKGATE!" He screamed in his face, gripping under his throat and slamming the man's skull to the bricks. The guy gasped at the hold, and a manic glint was only shrouded by his domino.

"He will be your downfall like so many others. So side with him again-- I dare you all. Because I will not be there to get you out. Next time? You will burn alive." He shoved the man's face aside, tying off the two wounds and dialing an ambulance. The crime leader snarled, but Jason stood there while waiting for the medics to come. Smoking a cigarette. A statue against the smog of Gotham.

"J's--" Sonny said suddenly, breaking the silence with the roaring of sirens in the distance. 

"What about it?"

"The victim's all paid with these weird coins with J's on them-- just like your cheek. We know this because a few people have been trying to use them to get other drugs, but it's not **cash** \-- not enough for us. So we turn 'em down,"

"You have one?"

"Yeah a small bag in my apartment has a few we took just to mess with them. It's in my desk, I'm sure you know where I live you freak--"

"Why keep this from my investigation?"

The guy laughed, "cause you're a fucking prick. But I get it yeah? You running the show is better for us than the clown. Lesser evil. I just want shit back to normal around here. Don't go telling no one I said that shit-- I ain't no snitch even with your bullets in me."

Jason grinned, slipping his helmet on, and took off.

"Red Robin are you available?"

"Yes-- what's the address? Where are you?" 

"3590 Buckly Street, infrared is coming up negative for people. I want to know if this is a trap. Can you see any on surveillance?"

"I see you, hold on," Jason, tucked his binoculars away, jumping over a roof to get a closer check on the fire escape and the windows. 

"The place looks empty, whose house is this?"

"A snitch,"

"You are aware I can look up and figure out who if I wanted too,"

"You can if you want, it's not important. I made him talk and now him and I are both even and back on good terms. It's how I run my crime empire baby," he sent a knife in between the panels of glass to open the lock to the window. 

"I disarmed the security system you just set off,"

"Thank you sweetie,"

"Keep the comm's professional. You both are gross," Nightwing's voice slipped into his helmet, and Jason couldn't help but find an old comfort in that. 

"Nightwing have you made it into Boston?"

"Yes, target should be insights soon. Changing into civies,"

"Good focus on that then, opinions crowd the line," Tim's smile could be felt through the comm, and Jason had to really bite down on his tongue to not laugh out loud in the quiet space. He was glad Tim wasn't seething mad at him anymore, not that it would change what they talked about. Jason moved swiftly through the main living area, the lush room was carpeted in stunning furs making his footing even more silent. Cracking open the desk he found the leather satchel with the coins in them. He pulled one out, taking care to look at it quickly under his lens to better get a read. His chest tightened at the familiarity to them. 

"Robin-- you seeing this?" 

"Yeah, what is that?" 

"Coins-- snitch said Joker hands these coins out to use to buy his drug," 

"Silver spray paint for the J. The coins look all different in year, and make if by those few are all we have to gauge," Tim responded while analyzing Jason's helmet feed. 

"I'll bring them for Batman," Jason pocketed the items, swinging quickly back through the window when it hit him fully. 

"Your vitals are elevating oddly again Hood," Tim calmly stated, Nightwing issued a quick check in that he was with the doctor in civilian clothes. Jason paused his leave on the roof. Pacing while he racked his head. 

"Red," it was a warning, and Jay desired strongly to respond. But his mind was racing, and he couldn't focus on speaking without disrupting all his thoughts. The coins. The goons took them on payment, and the drugs weren't showing up anywhere for Batman to find. No deals. No dealer even caught in the act of selling, it was as if this entire operation was a ploy or game not meant to be solved. Which was off from Joker's MO. The clown was always center stage, always making a loud performance and getting away by some glorious escape. Something familiar was itching in the back of his mind, Jason knew something. Joker knew-- _he_  knew. But was willing to wait for Jason to work it out. He sighed. Removing the helmet, and pressed his palms into his thighs. 

"What is this about?" He said to himself, pulling out the coins to look at each one separately. They were all various, standard issue United States minted coins. The golden J was shiny, and seemed messily made but well applied so they couldn't be duplicated. What he didn't want to admit was how familiar they were-- when he was a kid and money was tight. Him and the kids would spray paint pennies with silver in hopes to trick them into looking like dimes. It actually worked really well. But no one knew that. It was silly kids stuff, and he had just been really hungry as a kid.

"Are you okay?" Batman swept down and landed so silently Jason had a gun pointed at the enormous shadow looming over him from the billboard sign back. He clicked the safety, and flipped the weapon back into his thigh holster. 

"He sent goons after me the first time to lure me from you remember?" Jason said flipping a coin to Batman who caught the item. "Took a beating didn't I? You were so mad. But you got me, made me stay home. That's how I found out about my mom because I was so mad at you for benching me." 

Jason rolled his lip into his mouth, before taking out a cigarette. Striking a match to the end, "he temporarily turned my own people against me. Had them send people to the harbor-- I was hallucinating parts of that night. Something he keeps getting into my system...I thought. This all isn't his MO right? But maybe it is? He's doing the same set up. The bomb in that building...just like at the warehouse. And now these coins..." 

"What's the connection with these?" Batman asked, Jason blowout a long drag. 

"We use to make ones like this as kids. Not with the J, but try to make pennies appear like dimes and stuff. It's the same spray paint-- at least I think so. How he knows that is discerning, but the fact he's making people in my area pay for drugs with an old trick I use to play on the streets is something not a lot of people know about--"

"I remember how hungry you were," Batman said, "I still don't think you tasted that burger."

Jason smiled even though embarrassment flooded him knowing Batman had pieced what little he said to understand the meaning behind the coins. 

"These people are so desperate for a fix they are willing to acquire these coins to get what they want. A potential death that ends in a laugh if it goes too far, or a high that trumps your fears. Maybe they figure they can beat their other addictions if they face it. I don't know. We need to find out where and how they get them," Jason paused, "one of my snitches said Joker does favors for them? Doesn't make sense."

"The woman you had believed to be your mother died from an overdose," Batman suddenly said roughly, Jason picking up on his frustration with ease. 

"Yeah and?"

"All these people--" Batman turned his back as if he was about to leave and Jason's anger flared before he could understand. 

"Hey! What?!" 

"Red Robin, did you finish the report for the bodies?" Batman asked into his comm. Jason couldn't hear the response-- so he took a drag of his cigarette. Pacing like a caged animal. 

"Are you saying he's killing all these people to get my attention?" Jason said suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. 

"Calm down Red Hood," Batman growled out in warning, still talking to Tim. 

"He's taking everything that happened and upping it to another level to match who I am now. This son of a bitch. He MADE those people take those drugs!" Jason snarled, flicking the cigarette and replacing his helmet.

"Why the brand?" Batman was suddenly right there, a fist curled into his shirt, and Jason was never use to the looming presence of the Batman. Even with Jason being taller-- he couldn't ever fathom to instill the fear the other man could put in anyone. 

"He did it with the crowbar-- it was messy, this was a upgrade," Jason gritted out. 

"What's next Jason, think-- he knows you will work it out," Batman said and Jason closed his eyes behind the Hood. 

"My Mother-- he took her to lure me to him-- that is missing from all this. My parents are dead though," Jason added and barely picking up on the small wince and twitch to Batman's lips at the comment. 

"Yeah but you have someone equally important,"

Jason clenched his fists. 

"He touches him-- you will have to put me in jail Batman-- because I will do more than put a bullet through his forehead."


	8. Chapter Eight

"Red Robin come in," Batman's grip was still tight against Jason's armor, keeping him from running off-- or maybe just to anchor him. Jason's mind kept swimming in destructive thoughts and worries. How, if Joker had decided to pick Tim to play the upped role of his 'mother', he'd probably not be killed with such simple ways as she had. Not a bullet in the forehead-- no. That would be mercy should the Joker decide to go down this path. Because Jason knew-- if all of this was to reenact Jason's final set up. He'd go wouldn't he? If Joker sent him a message now that said-- 'lookie what I got Jason Todd? Come here if you want to see him again!' And fuck if he wouldn't leave right now. Charge in there like he had all those years ago, and Jason was positive he'd meet the same end a thousand times over if it didn't involve any of his family. He didn't want to put Bruce through all this-- Dick, Alfred...even Damian. 

"This isn't your fault," Batman still didn't let go, and Jason hadn't realized he wasn't holding all his weight. That he was panicking over thinking clearly. His heart winning over brains. How did Batman do this every night? Jason tried to keep the cool, 'I don't care' attitude and snarky retort that ended up with bullets in bodies if he was angry. But he couldn't handle the emotional weight now that he allowed them back into his life-- more them letting him be apart of their family again. "Do not blame yourself. He's fine."

"Jay-- hey nothing is getting in here okay? Get that out of your head right now," Tim's voice floated through the comm but the seed had already been planted. Beyond that, all Jason could picture was losing everything now. 

"He would be foolish to attempt anything so bold, even if he got his hands on me I'm not alone right now," was all he confirmed, yet Jason could here Damian in the background joyfully retelling Alfred how he took apart the batmobile and made it able to fly in only a month. Jason still couldn't risk it right? 

"We will stick together on this. Solve it. Put together what we are missing okay?" Batman was still here. The looming comforting presence that Jason always needed but never knew how to ask for. All those years it was so easy to be angry. To push them away. To make excuses, and lash out with a heated, rude reply. But he was seeing things differently now. Maybe had long before, when he didn't blow up the car with batman inside.

"This won't end--" Jason replied, pulling back with his weight. Batman let go of his grip, his sights on their surroundings. 

"It never does, that is the burden of this family," he responded without sounding like he felt such weight. Jason combed through his hair, the curls twisted and dirty from being under the hood. Blood was splattered up his forearms, and he was sure Bruce knew how he got this information. His informant would be fine, but maybe he had taken it too far. 

"No, I mean this won't end until I'm dead," he finished his thought, the dark blimp of truth didn't hurt as much as he believed it should. Was that also part of Joker's plan? He promised to break him-- was this how those who took the drug felt? One final laugh? Freedom from all the guilt to how terrible their life was. To race through all your fears until all that was left was a blissful end? Could he beat it? If forced to take it-- to once more relive it. With all his training now-- shit. He might...he might not.

"Red Hood report back to base immediately," Tim ordered though the comms when he had no authority too. Batman's lips twitched as if he was holding back a smile. Jason saw it, shaking his head at their continued antics to reel him back in from the delerium. 

"Nah, I have a few more leads to check up on. Batman has the coins for processing, and I'll be--"

"What leads?" Jason wished he had the muscle memory to feel the love more easily. To know that Tim was careful and calculating in his detective work and was equally wanting information and also to be sure Jason was safe. But Jason never often felt such things until Bruce took him. How fun it was to be Robin. How it felt like it gave him magic-- the suit and colors were inspiring. Now? Now he was a wanted man...no hero. Just barely making it because he had backup that involved the Batman. 

"Red Robin, since you are working the computers tonight, route me a destination. The coordinates are in my notes," Batman walked over to the edge of the high rise, shooting off his grappling hook. He barely turned, but Jason's heart fluttered at the sight. Always in awe of his mentor. How powerful he appeared in something so simple as moving from building to building. "Hood, run your leads then report later." And he was gone without an answer, Jason standing stupidly. Struck into silence and damanged thoughts. 

"Jay, come home,"

"No-- I'll check in later," 

\--

Something had been nagging him. The guards, and the bomb he swore he saw in his temporary safe house. It was early on in their investigation, and the time filled around it was pretty heavy in destruction-- so it was easy to forget. But Jason was sure if he looked at those two things with wider, more clear eyes to what was happening-- he'd see something he missed. Tim had said his blood had showed certain isotopes they didn't have in their system. Jason had been sure it was medically an issue but maybe that had also been the wrong assumption. To get to the root of all this, Jason wanted to find the first contact he had when it all seemed to go to shit. That meant to the hospital-- to confront the only guard from the Harbor that was awake and well enough to talk. 

"Evening," he stepped out of the shadows, the police guard was sound asleep from the light drug Jason had slipped in their coffee. The person in the bed didn't jolt when she saw the Hood, their eyes hooded and dramatic all bruised up from his fists. 

"Been wondering when you'd stop by. Did you know that the blue birdy came first? Then The Bats in all his glory. It was invigorating to tell the truth. You know I worked those docks for fifteen years! And to trick--"

"You have tricked no one--" Hood interrupted, "and if you think I care about Batman and his loyal nest you are incredibly stupid. Who sent you after me?"

"Oh--" she giggled, "you are questioning things are you? Don't really know what happened." Jason dragged a chair under the door, locking it closed just in case of interruptions. He made sure his mic was off in his helmet, the visual assist from the computer powering down as well. All he had was visual sites through his domino and basic vision with the helmet. Which was fine. He didn't need anyone hearing him tonight, the last thing he needed way another kidnapping by his family. 

"I will kill you--" he said simply, "I have thirteen different viles to make it untraceable if I put it directly into your bloodstream. The guard will wake up and realize he had dozed off. You'd be coding then. They will try to save you, bring life back into your body-- but..." He paused near the bed, slithering his fingers under her chin. Tightening his gloved grip until the skin puckered in threat of bruising. "You. Will. Die." The three words echoed in the helmet with vocal distortion to add a firm resonation.

She snarled, but the muscle tension under his fingers and raced upbeat of her pulse proved his threat was sinking in. Good. Because Jason wasn't fucking around anymore. No one else was going to get hurt, or die because Joker wanted to drag him into his games. 

"It was a test alright? To see if you were who he thought you were," she gritted out,

"Who--"

"Joker, _we_  have no idea who you are. He didn't say, just wanted to watch the fight," 

Jason let go of her, pacing a few steps with his fists tightly knotted. 

"Why the laughing?" 

"If I say 'what laughing' will it freak you out?" her Cheshire grin was contorted into an rare evil Jason only saw so often. She was corrupted. Joker had gotten to all of them. These normal people working their lives, and not doing anything but surviving and he twisted their minds. Made them-- villains. 

"Were you laughing--" he asked again, pulling out a syringe from his hip pocket. She eyed the yellow liquid he was tapping air bubbles out of. She laughed in response. The sound triggered colors to burst over his eye sight, painting the room into various hues of gray and red. He blinked a few times. Her laugh crescendoed, turning manic as she started rocking back and forth in the bed. Jason starred. Waiting for the world to bend and snap back to a better reality. But her face contorted up. A permanent smile etching onto her face-- Jason wanted to watch her die. He had an antidote. He could prick her leg and everything would slip back into normalcy. But he didn't care right now. He wanted answers.

"Answer me dammit-- were you laughing? Were you all laughing!" He snarled, jabbing the syringe right behind her ear, the rush of placebo and harmless formula disappeared into her bloodstream. She fell for it. Making twitching motions in her muscles. Jason bruised her forearm-- his grip resuming under his chin. Looming over her. 

"Nope--" Her voice spoke tightly through her gritted teeth, "Tick. Tock." The woman's eyes rolled into her head as she started seizing. Jason shifted to kick the chair out of the way and was out the window right when the team of nurses ran into the space. He hugged the ledge of the window, pulling himself up to the top floor until he could get to the roof. His phone buzzed then in his pocket-- which as off cause when he was in his Red Hood getup they always used the comms. 

"Miss me?" 

"Joker!" he clenched his hands, gripping the fire escape iron with enough power to want to break it. "How did you get this number-- you know what. It doesn't matter," 

"Ohhhhh, come on son..."

"I AM NO ONES SON!" Jason screamed into the voice channel through his helmet. The booming voice of his powered up helmet making the release deadly in tone.

"Wowww, someone is fiery today. To bad, I was going to offer you dinner,"

"Stop it. Just stop it. Where are you? Let's settle this-- we fight. You and me Joker, loser dies. It's that simple-" Joker chuckled, then burst into frantic laughing on the other end of the line. Jason's heart fluttered at the sound.

"But we already did this! It's boring without us making a few changes,"

"You said you'd NOT involve anyone-- you touch any of my family or friends I will take off your fucking head! YOU HEAR ME CLOWN! I will rip it off piece by fucking piece with my own finger nails!" Jason's chest was heaving, the anger hot enough to distort his world into old Pit darkness.

"OOoOooOOo, you never fail to make things interesting-- now come on. Put it together. Which piece are you missing?"

Jason stopped moving. Bowing his head forward in thought.

"The bomb I thought was in my safe house," he snarled,

"DING DING DING!!! HahahaAHAHAHAHAhahaHA," Joker responded, laughter echoing in his helmet. "Did you like the gift though? The drug was so fine the very second you touched the paper it seeped into your...pretty...skin."

"Why the game? Why this drug Joker? What is the point?" 

"Ohhhh, Because why not relive our story?" Joker's darker tone surfaced then, Jason's senses focused on the change in mood. 

"This has to end--" he said quietly, "I want it to end. No more hurting these people just to get my attention! You have it!" 

"Do you really want this to end?" Joker was taunting, and Jason let other emotions reach his voice so it sounded completely believable. Because he did desire for it all to end. Jason didn't care if he ended up in prison...or chased down by Bruce. He wanted to kill Joker or be killed. 

"Yes--that is how you want this all to go right? You reliving that moment-- killing me again. When will you ever have a chance with another?"

"Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock." Jason's heart was racing--

"Where Joker!"

"Let's PLAY!" _click_

The silence was abrupt enough to make him settle against the brick wall housing a loud unit. He replayed the words. Put the clues together in his head best he could, but he didn't know where this all was ending. Didn't know why Joker was playing such a long game when they could have this fight anytime-- anywhere. He desired Jason to follow his plan-- and yet Jason still couldn't see all the pieces.

Why was that? Joker had said before that he wanted him broken. Wanted him unsure of what was real and what wasn't. Was it because of this drug? Was that the main clue-- not the people dying. Not the people he sent after him, or the gifts of bombs and explosions. The drug induced his worse fears...and if that was what was in his system every time he felt delusional did that mean the last dose he suffered through had worked how Joker intended? Was the next time going to send him over-- pull the trigger? His worse fears all resided in the past. That moment of his death so intense on his conscious that nothing else could win the spot. How long had Joker been getting this drug in his system? Testing theories of his identity until he knew without a doubt that the Red Hood was Jason Todd. His fears had given himself away. All this. It really was his fault. The pawn in some fun Joker wanted to have. Resurrected only to once more follow the path the clown wanted, and Jason walked right down it. Repeated. A circle. 

Jason looked out to the horizon, removing his helmet and dropping it onto the roof. He knew where Joker wanted him. The pounding of his head surfaced in reminder to more domestic, personal issues he was dealing with. How he was probably dead either way right? He had lied to Tim so profoundly. Not in what was happening with his head, but in how serious it was. Jason wasn't going to end up in some bed while the Batfamily used every outlet of medical help they had to release him from the death the world was determined to instill on him. Did Joker know of that? Was Joker in some twisted claiming to Jason Todd's creation allowing him to go out with a bang over the alternative. 'Let's play' he had said. Tick. Tock. Was the sound rattling his mind. Triggering old memories, throbbing his mind with the last thing he heard before he was murdered. Jason starred intently at the clock tower above Central Station. It was now run down, and use to house a part of Wayne Enterprises before the Zero Year. 

Did Joker take someone? This was the last lure. Everything grand in clues and tests. Maybe taking out all the station was the final piece. Or maybe it was just for them. Joker versus Jason. As if Joker had proved Jason didn't need all the other stuff. He didn't need to rule over those drug lords. Didn't need safe houses, or to worry about victims in Batman's city. He didn't need to patrol, or be the Red Hood. Not in Joker's eyes. And if the lunatic clown claimed anything it was that Jason was _his_ to mold for his benefit. 

_You are overthinking it._

Jason could see the mirage of Joker lounging on the roof edge. He wouldn't look directly at the hallucination.

_You know that thing in your head is making you see things. You have known this forever-- such a liar! Take after your dear old pops! Making you project your thoughts through me of all people! SO FUNNY! It's FUNNY! HhAHAHAHAHA_

"Be quiet," his teeth gritted, lifting the jacket to pull out three trackers he knew Bruce had put on him when he had grabbed his armor.

_The fact you are now talking to yourself is the best part. You're off the deep end with the rest of us. Care to join? We can all go to Arkham together! The family together!_

Jason lifted his boot, leaving a dagger on the rooftop that he knew Tim had encased with a hidden tracker as well. Joker was pretending the flag pole on the hospital roof was a tight rope. 

_Joker--- or well ME I GUESS! Has always had the control of your destiny. The hilarious part is that you aren't even the main target. Never were-- you know. Tell us. TELL YOURSELF! Who is this all for? Hmmmmm_

Jason knew. He knew before when he allowed his fear to settle and root into the confines of his broken self. He knew when he was fifteen that Joker only ever cared about Batman in some twisted love affair the clown had for his mentor. Jason was created to destroy Batman. He was a prop. A toy. A molded character with an ending already written to induce the worse kind of pain. In that desperate moment of trying to get that door open Jason could remember how badly he had just wanted Batman to save him. To prove to Joker that he loved Jason-- that he wasn't just a sidekick or some street rat plucked off the streets to be saved. But a son. Something important. Worthy of love. Jason trailed fingers over the brand on his cheek, mapping the J shape and allowing the anguish of it settle into the deepest parts of his gut. Marked like an animal for slaughter. Darkness consumed easily over his mind. Feeling the crazed pieces of himself he battled to keep under control sweep him like a cold blanket. He checked all the places on his person, making sure nothing was there to track him. Removing his domino he set that too on the edge of the rooftop. Right into the Jokers hands. 

_They will know you are doing the exact thing you did when you were a boy_

"I know," he calmly spoke, exhaling deeply in attempt to stop himself from seeing things. Had he really never recovered? Was his resurrection just a mistake in the time stream? Would he revert back into the entrapment of his mind? Mute. Without emotions just sights on what was around him and how he was suppose to act? Would the anger surface? And the screams. The pains in his head taking over so intensely he thought his mind would explode if someone didn't calm him down.

Was this all temporary from the moment he rose?

_You really think it will end with you killing me?_

"No--but I have to try," he admitted to himself. Walking off the roof to land on a window ledge before making his way to the ground. He took off running towards a car parked in an alleyway. Breaking in and hot wiring it to life. He didn't have a lot of time. The camera's Bruce had all over the city would pick him up easily enough. Tossing his jacket off, he raced down the street towards Central Station.

Joker's feet propped up on the dash.

_Even if this ends like you want it-- you will still die a mortal. Slow. Death._

"I won't-- tonight we both die..."     

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is winding down to the final show down. Probably 2-3 more chapters. If anything is confusing please message me! I am hoping it's all coming together for you. Thanks so much for reading. <3 Cas


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please be safe with this chapter, it's a bit violent though I tried not to get too graphic with it. <3 Cas

The crack of a baseball bat to the side of the rabbit faced goon felt so good. Jason's eyes were wild. The hazel near black-- blood dramatically splattered up his arms and across his face. A feral vengeful monster had surfaced the second he had been surrounded. A dozen easy with weapons of all kinds around him. Bullets had sprayed to destroy the terminals for ticket sales. Splattering the area in plastic debris and money of all things. Without anything in the beginning, all that consumed Jason was the sound of his guns going off and relying on his skill to survive long enough to get finished what he came here for. No helmet to hide behind to shroud his expressions or identity. No backup. Nothing. Tonight it all ended.

Jason Todd versus the Joker. 

"Come on!" He screamed, the intensity sending four henchmen his way. All around him were unconscious bodies, sprawled about in animal heads and masks that reeked of Jokers poisons. Some might have been dead for all he knew. He wasn't being careful or calculating in his gun fire or aimed strikes with his fists and blades. Endless. It seemed Joker had picked up on where his head was at because he sent more and more into the train station. Wearing him out-- Jason knew when his fist collided with what had to be the twentieth man. But it didn't matter. He wanted to feel everything. From the shattering of bones to the sound of weightless bodies crumbling under his hand. To the red hot burn of a bullet through his arm, and the powerful punch of another catching in his armor along his chest. 

"COWARD!!" He snarled, throwing a dagger through the air. Catching the clown in the thigh and sending him off the roof of a concession stand. The madness crept up at hearing his body hit tile. He felt like he had when he had escaped the Pit. A carnal urge for bloodshed overpowering everything. Jason twisted to the closest man. Breaking their arm and flipping them into another. He moved fluidity. Elbow to their jugular. Swept of his feet to cut off their stride and shooting them in the calf. Cutting the tendons of their hamstring.

"Come out!" Joker had disappeared from his immediate view, and the small distraction had a hard object colliding in the back of his head. Bursting his sights into dots of black until it raced back to focus. Three henchmen had their arms on him. Jason breathing heavy, letting them get a decent hold while his mind decided to play games. It was the prick into his forearm he hadn't anticipated. The rush of the foreign substance shaking all his body, a scream tearing out of him like he had been electrocuted through every cell in his body. Until he stilled. The hands let go slowly, their steps echoes in his mind. The slow clap of Joker walking towards him, blood oozing from the weapon still embedded into this leg.

"WHAT A SHOW!!! Look around!" Jason's heart was going off beat, a jump or skip in the change of blood pressure and flooded gates of endorphins and adrenaline. The drug had accelerated systems, short firing his brain to see his greatest fears. It was scarecrows work but with an end game. Not something to wear off, sleep and pray for the headache to not be as bad. Jason already felt mad in the head. Wanted to LAUGH at all the terrible things to think about-- it was there. Wanting to burst into laughter because this was all so crazy! Intense. And filled with the rich scent of death that always lingered around Jason.

"Ok come on!! I bought you all this! If I had gotten the money from the robbery it would have given you more men to play with-- bUT YOU RUNIED THAT!" Joker cocked his head, and Jason wanted to snap it. But he couldn't get a grip on his body. He felt like the world was contorting, a warmth flooding his cheeks and making every muscle twitch in anticipation of a fight.

"See what you make me do? Over and over and over and over! HahahahaHAHAHAHAH test here, test there-- do you feel it? It's my personal formula FOR YOU! My progeny!" Joker pulled out the weapon in his thigh, the blood along his leg made Jason's hands clench in need for more, but still he didn't move. He did feel something. How the train station wasn't here anymore, that it wasn't what he expected-- his surroundings morphed into the penthouse with a blurry clarity. Piece by piece as if he was standing in the center room. He jolted at the sight of Damian hung from the rafters. Swinging lifeless. Tears burned his eyes in wanted grief. But Jason kept quiet. Seeing Alfred broken in the kitchen, yet surrounded by animal faced goons. His neck at a horrifying angle, and then Tim. Joker had him-- a gun to his head. Pressing the barrel so hard it dented the soft skin of his temple.

"It's not real--" he swallowed. And then Joker was there. His face consuming all his sight and Joker shot him. The blast loud in the close distance, the surprise and 'oof' crumbled out of his falling body deliriously making Jason feel he was going insane. Because no, that was his gun going off right? The pain in his chest was there, but it wasn't a bullet. He didn't think...He didn't know! Using all this weight to his advantage, he shoved forward at the body, colliding with it to look at the wrong face. 

"Oops! Wrong one--" Jason shot another Joker, twisting and shooting another. Another. Another. He screamed a feral noise, charging forward to find the one Joker bleeding from his leg. But it was all he saw. Heard. Laughing. Filling every little part of his head until he had to stop. Swirling around in a mental cyclone. He gripped his head.

"I just want you to laugh--" came a whined chuckle. Joker was hanging from the chandelier partially broken from the rain of bullets. How much time had passed? We're they coming? He didn't want them here yet. Not to be used as leverage. No. 

Jason looked at the Joker he assumed was the real one, lifting his gun.

"If you don't come down and fight me--" he grinned, letting everything sink to a burning ache in his chest. How much this was going to ruin his family-- the guilt he harbored already over it. He set the gun to his own head-- Jokers smirk fell slowly. It was delicious to watch, making Jason's manic mind feel powerful.

"You wouldn't--"  
"I almost did the night you branded me--"  
"Liar!" Joker jumped down right when the world blended again to the warehouse. His fears shifted with this train of thought. No longer on his family it was easy to keep focus on the night he had died. He could handle it. _You can handle it._

"What do you see? TELL ME! It's me right? ITS ME RIGHT! I AM THE ROOT OF YOUR FEARS JASON TODD! HAHAHhahahahaha! The tragic tale! What's having laughter without a bit of TRAGEDY! We are perfect for one another..."

Jason didn't move, but felt the collision of a crowbar before he could react properly. The weapon struck him greatly across the back of his head. The shatter of bone to his skull made everything disappear. Time must have passed. The rushing sound of the subway carts leading into the main parts of the city from the central train station caught his hearing first. They had moved him, bound up and tied with his hands behind his back. His knees buckled to the ground when he was shoved harshly, but his blurred sight landed on the goon who had taken his gun. It had one round left. One. Okay...He had this. He breathed in though his nose sharply, knowing what was coming before it happened. The laughing crescendoed-- Joker struck him in his armor under his ribs. Bleeding surfaced internally against his organs-- his body desired faintly to slip into shock. His teeth chattered, a cold swept around him like a sudden snowstorm. Dying wasn't a new feeling to Jason. But he stayed still. He couldn't mess this up. It had to be the real joker. Not these illusions. Not a mirage or messing of his mind. He could take a few hits. 

"You asked for this!" The crowbar stuck him again, and then there were more hands on him. More fists. More blunt objects colliding over and over against his body. He broke someone's ankle with a sharp turn of his chin and pinning the foot that wanted to break his nose, fighting back enough to not be swarmed. It was impossible appearing, Jason working on the knot along his wrists until they broke free, trying to position his body to take enough hits to his arms over his sides. He punched a goons throat, got his hands on his gun when the other got close enough to strike him in the face with it. The metal in his hand made the world tilt. He had to get this right. It had to be perfect. Hands gripped his hair sharply, Joker pinning his arm with the gun perfectly to not go off. Jason looked at the subway.

"Hear those carts go! They are delivering packages through out the city! Little gifts filled with laughs! Maybe a couple screams---AHHH but who cares when it all ends in one big final LAUGH! Remember all those people who died? My goons know where to go! Well let the real show BEGIN!" Jason hadn't realized that Joker had another layer to this plan. Of course it wasn't all about him...he had promised Jason so long ago that he'd witness the city laughing to death. Had his body really aided in creating this drug? Had Tim worked out an antidote or anti-toxin? Had the one sample been enough to work from? Joker had been smart to watch how it affected him, someone with training to withstand most toxins, and poisons. Jason went to shift his weight. To press the gun to jokers face and blow off his head, but suddenly, he couldn't feel anymore. It was like the world decided to halt. His pupils dialated, and his body fell eerily still. And then it happened. He laughed. A quiet chuckle. Joker had his fist raised to pause their attack.

"Did you hear that?" Joker asked the group, and Jason coughed up blood. Feeling fifteen again when Joker had asked him what the root of his fear was. He chuckled again. A small laugh that had a toothy smile stretching across his lips. Hiding the gun behind his back. Joker's wide eyes shrouded partically by the skin of his ruined face. Happiness exploding...

The ceiling blew up. Glass rained down on them all. Batman's frightening wide wingspan and shadow loomed before he landed in the center of the place. Smoke bombs went off instantly, and gunfire resumed. Jason laughed again. This time it sounded like he was losing control, a hysteric rattle shocking his instincts to fight it when he couldn't focus too. Joker grabbed him by the front of his armor. Dragging him away from the fight, leaving a trail of fresh blood on the shiny tile. He was whistling of all things, and Jason's hand tightened on the gun he had managed to get back. Trying to stay focused. To not lose himself entirely-- but it was so funny. This all happening again.

The fight was brutal. Batman not holding back in his assault, had the last of the henchmen pinned and down before Joker could get away with Jason. Red Robin and Robin dropped into the fight, both racing to the controls of the subway carts to get them to turn back to the main station. Jason was enamored with his family then. Watching them fight so beautifully together. Like they were meant to be. Himself in his rightful place right? _I was always meant to die in this story Timmy._

Joker couldn't manage Jason's dead weight so he settled on sliding his back on the wall. Holding Jason to his chest like a big shield, a knife banished to his cheek pressing into the brand. Batman was looming a few steps away. Jason couldn't get a focused look at him.

Jason looked up through glassy eyes towards Tim who had managed to hack into the computers and was manually entering so much code on the screen it was dizzying. He could hear the racing carts breaking in the distance of the tunnels. But Jason knew Joker would have other plans. Tim would save the city. He would. The blade cut his skin, making Jason gasp at the blessed clarity it brought him. Joker's grin felt along his neck, breath wheezing and reeked of decay.

"It's over Joker--" Batman's voice filled the rest of the place in silence.   
"Is it though? Either way he's dead! Should make it interesting! How about it my boy?" 

Jason blinked up towards Batman. His sights were confusing. His body broken, blood seeped out of his lips, down his nose and through various wounds he couldn't feel anymore. Jason wasn't seeing Batman. He hadn't been there the day he died. The drug changed everything. There was another Joker there, wearing a black cape and casting an amused grin his way. The one from his past with a crookied expression. It was wrong. No. _This had to be right. He can't mess this up!_

"Shoot the Joker...it will end. All of this. The madness! Just one bullet. Right there---between the eyes. Here let me," Joker lifted his arm with the gun, pointing it towards the other. Jason wouldn't miss. His aim was perfect-- right between the eyes this bullet would hit its mark. He inhaled sharply, demanding his mind to refocus. But his arm fell heavy, and body slumped a moment as all his injuries caught up at once. He racked his mind for clarity, to work out the angle. To be sure it was perfect. Joker shook him in a childish temper tantrum, bringing himself right up against Jason's back. Still using most of Jason's body as a shield because Batman had to be right there. Joker put the blade to his throat instead, and Jason smiled a Robin grin. Playing over the math, seeing it clear as day. Batman growled a noise that made Jason feel ashamed. Flashbacks burst vibrantly to the fun they had. How that growl was because Jason had managed to get a decent hit in across his mentors jaw. Bruce knew what he was going to do. Maybe was speaking now, but everything was warped and wrong.  

_Shoot the Joker._

That sentence resonated through the fog. Happiness blossomed like a spring day or an early Christmas snow. Jason lifted one swollen eye up, his head lulling to the side to be one hundred percent sure it was Batman there. The blade cut into his skin, Joker was making demands. 

"The root of my fear..." He whispered, Joker paused his yelling and Jason smiled sadly, a line of blood coating past his lips. "... _I'm sorry_ \--" he found himself choking out to Bruce and his family, and pressed the gun to his side, right between the armor piece worn on his front. Setting the angle of the muzzle perfectly. Joker made to shove him off, reading exactly what Jason was going to do. The blade cut a decent line into his neck, but Jason's last bit of strength shoved Joker back against the wall. His head colliding. 

Time enjoyed to slow down for the dramatics. Jason knew it was milliseconds that passed, not the minutes where he had enough time to catch the eye of Tim and Damian before the muzzle burst a vibrant white light in it's close quarter explosion. The bullet was hotter than anything he's felt to his body. He's been hit plenty in his life, but this was different. It came with other screams less his own. The resonation of the shot sending the entire place into a broken noise humming in suspended confusion. Batman had moved quickly, but he wasn't Superman. He wasn't faster than a speeding bullet-- he'd not make it in time. Those eight steps took forever. Jason watched each one. Felt Joker tense behind him, a gasp and slump in weight against his back. The blood warmed through his back, pooling with his own around their seated position. Joker didn't laugh. The quiet. How had he ever hated the quiet? 

"Jason--" Batman's voice echoed in, rough hands pulling him off the Joker's body. He closed his eyes. Feeling himself hulled up into the air-- draped across his mentors arms, being cradled impossibly close to his chest until he could feel his heartbeat. This was a nicer way to go he decided. On his terms. His way. Taking the Joker off the streets for good. This had been the revenge he wanted...right? 

"Thanks for being here," he hummed deliriously, slipping into nothingness. 


	10. Chapter Ten

Quiet. That was the thing about death. People closest to him were brave enough to ask what it was like. Jason would shrug, and say it simply.

"For me it was nothing,"

He use to find pleasure in that answer. Watch their reactions. See if they believed him, or if he was just trying to be mean. But they knew it was the truth just meeting his eye. It was easy to see the torment left over from someone who had been murdered. To live through that. Die through it. Rise remembering every detail.

The day he crawled out of the grave he had been screaming for Bruce. His mind had shorted out, picking up the last moments of his death like left over echoes of his conscious. But as that energy had been used up-- it fell into the silence Talia found him in. Broken. Jason sometimes wondered what it would have been like if Bruce had found him that night over her. What treatments he'd have tried, if he'd consider the Pit and strike a deal with Talia or Ra's. Maybe. But that hadn't happened. He could dwell on it. Dream up the what if scenarios until he was quite depressed. It didn't change anything.

Jason realized that death for him meant simply non existing. He believed in Hell. Knew of Titan members who claimed with clear certainty that it existed. But it wasn't for him. At least if his soul had been sent there, he didn't remember, just knew how empty he could feel. The anger forever burning in his chest. Rage, a comment away, and everything else difficult at best to make sense of without ruining it.

When thought came it was like time hadn't passed. He half expected Bruce to be holding him, to feel the weightlessness of being carried. To hear the Tick Tock from the final countdown of his life. But there was only a solid, soft surface under him. Various beeping caught his attention first. Then tubes burning the back of his throat when he tried to take a shaking inhale on his own. Alarms started going off at once, beeping loud in warning-- to what he didn't know-- voices filled the space in a warped collected tone that made him feel trapped underwater. Still they attempted to cut through the fog desperately-- he couldn't respond. Jarring movements happened at alarming rates, and the pain hit him with a nauseous clarity. Making his hands clench, curling so tightly into the linens he felt his body tense through his back and down his legs. His spine curved in reaction, a gag reflex struck the back of his throat while a tube was pulled out carefully-- but though all this was happening at a rate he really couldn't comprehend. He was gifted with a breath of air from his own lungs. He coughed, and couldn't focus on anything. The lights blinding, and disorienting.

But then he saw the bluest of eyes.

It was like in a movie. Something cliche, where Roy would be playing a cheesy song in the background while commentating over a movie with an opening line of 'jaybird this shit just doesn't happen in real life, but if it did it? It'd be awesome.' But it was happening. His iris' constricted to focus, blinking dramatically at the mirage. Frozen in place so his disoriented mind didn't send the image sideways. The pain was a dull ache through his middle and side. His lung burned and skin stretched against hard stitches. But the hands touching his face were there, and he wanted to speak. Admit everything he's ever wanted to say. Maybe this was the dying part...or was he dead?

"You're not--" came a familiar voice, Tim's making it through the fog. Jason not having realized he had breathless asked if he was dead. This piece he didn't believe. The idea that light could be gifted to him in a time of his darkest hour. He deserved to burn. To rot in some awful pit of Hell or in the blanket of nothingness.

"Jason-- can he hear?" Bruce's voice filled in warped in tone, but he didn't make to move. His eyes fell heavy, each breath stretched and hurt to allow-- and before he could attempt anything else. He felt himself slipping. Like being dipped into cold water, only anchored by those fingers rubbing a small circle across his cheek. All his body fell boneless, melting into the covers.

"Babe--" he smiled at the word said close to his ear. It was small, a twitch that made those careful touches slip across his lips to feel it. He leaned into the touch gently, feeling them cup around the side of his face. The warmth so nice he turned his head into it. Pressing the palm against the pillow.

"He needs more rest..."  
"He will be okay without the respirator?"  
"Tuck this under his nose, yes-- just let him sleep,"  
"Can he hear us? Did the surgery take too much out of him? Is he responding Doctor--"   
"Bruce-- let him sleep--"

The words trailed off, catching the change in weight and sudden inhale of rich cologne. Calloused hands wrapped around his middle and hulled him up into a more comfortable position. The pillows were down, and fluffy-- breathing out their own trapped air as his weight leaned heavily around them. He sighed. And those same hands ran through his hair, and kissed his head. Then nothing. The world of dreams void of continued existence. Whatever the drugs in his system were, they were making everything feel wrong. When he woke up again, the room was quiet. He instantly froze. Waiting for the ball to drop, for Joker to pop out of the closet like he was a boy and there the clown would be to torment him.

But there was only soft snores in the room. He counted one near by. Someone was pacing, the steps near the window maybe if he was in his old room. An inhale. He tried to take a better one, forcing it to fill to a better capacity. Pain ignited instantly, and he gasped at the sharpness of it. The taste of blood on his tongue-- and violent flashes of Joker taking over his sight. He curled his hands around the covers, sitting up to slow everything down. How fast his heart raced had him gasping to get his bearings when Bruce was there. Wrapping a firm arm to keep him from falling out of the bed.

Clarity surfaced like he had been struck by a train. And tears dramatically burned his eyes, and worse regretfully fell down his cheeks. The pain meds gone from his system had woken him up, and in a way he was grateful. After all he went through with his step mom... Jason hated that feeling profoundly. Theat of every bruise, and pulsed reminder of stapled and sewn flesh had no good direction to settle in.

"Dad?" He barely got out. Not realizing that had been the choice of word, but everything felt so intense. His body on fire, and his mind clear and free from the fog. He felt reborn again and he didn't want this! Echoes of triggered memories teased in the very back of his mind. And yet he couldn't deny how amazing it felt to be alive.

"Jason, careful--you're safe I swear," was the warning and offering, and Jason just laid his head forward. Stealing the moment to lift his arm weakly up and slide it across Bruce's shoulders. Each finger catching along the fine shirt he was in. To let his weight rest heavily onto the hard expanse of his chest and be cocooned in with his family. It was the first time since forever that he felt at home, and he knew it was a dream bubble ready to pop the moment it was over. And the fact he was here and alive only meant that he was going to have to do it again-- go through all this but in a worse way when they found out he hadn't entirely escaped its clutches. Would they just tire of Jason always dying?

That had maybe been the real root of his fears. He had always assumed it was Joker, as the clown had so intensely screamed it in his face with a blistering laugh. But Jason realized right now that he hadn't been. It was giving him too much credit. The real fear had been said into the door when the bomb went off. That he wasn't truly anyone-- as a son he had been waiting the night his Father would take them out. As a kid he had been a street rat trying to survive, and joined the Red Hood gang to seek purpose. Even as Robin he had been filling shoes too big-- but it had been so fun. He had been really good at it. And Bruce adopting him-- giving him a home. That hadn't ever settled until now. How much he desperately wanted to feel loved. To know deep down that he was worth something.

"Why?" He choked out, his voice raw. Tim slipped into the large bed, holding some water for him. He pulled away from Bruce, taking his room with a much clear passing gaze. The cold water felt amazing. Soothing the burning ache.

"It was me," Tim admitted, Jason laid back down. Shifting his feet so they weren't under the covers out of habit. Tim smirked at the familiar movement, eyeing Bruce who seemed content to be really into Jason's space right now. Which was nice, and Jason wasn't going to say a damn thing about it.

"Nano bots," Tim said carefully, trailing his fingers up to thread with Jason's. "Dick got them back in time, I had them originally designed to work with healing low grade structural damage we sometimes cause in fights...But I reprogrammed them to enter your bloodstream at the station," Jason wanted to comment at the mastermind Tim's so casually spoke of like he literally hadn't said something so utterly amazing, but he knew talking would be a challenge, so he just laid down further. Sinking into the soft pillows, and feeling the pull of various wires connected to his person. He tightened his grip to the soft hands of Tim's.

"He literally attacked your gun shot wound with robots," Dick's weight jumped and quickly deposited on the bed like he had appeared out of thin air. Ever for the dramatics this one was. Where did he even come from? Jason peaked through dark lashes to see the larger of the boys lounged out by his side like he belonged there. Maybe in a way he always did, and Jason had kept pushing him away like everything else. A guarded wall. A missed opportunity Jason suddenly didn't want to miss out on ever again.

"It was kinda badass!"  
"Damian--"   
"Sorry Father, but Dick said that was the best descriptive word to use when it came to Tim's ingenious mind,"   
"I did not Bruce I swear,"

Jason chuckled at Damian who had now been wrapped in a sideways headlock by Dick to teach him a brotherly lesson. A sweet smile twitched beautifully against Jason's ashen skin. Breathing was difficult still on his own. There was a small tube of oxygen hooked under his nose which tasted sweet like ozone and cleaner air than he's probably ever breathed in his life living in Gotham. His head hurt the worse. The crack in his skull had been one of his more dangerous injuries. The gauze wrapped tightly around his head had forced them to shave the right side of it in order to operate. The longer strands rested combed over in messy bed head over the side of his face. Jason's body somehow relaxed now that the pain was a familiar hull ache over surprised shock. There was a strange, new comfort in feeling vulnerable like this. He didn't feel any metal around his wrists, expecting handcuffs if he was honest. Bruce would put him somewhere right? He had killed a lot of people that night-- and the Joker he clearly murdered. Even if the Batman had allowed him to kill before this all felt different. Like he had maybe finally crossed that line.

"Hey--" Tim whispered so close to his ear he hadn't realized he was by his side entirely. "You didn't have to leave?" It was barely said, an inflection to Tim's voice breaking in his emotion over it. Jason's eyes opened tiredly forward, his gaze distant and feeling broken-- unfocused. He wished he could feel better-- believe everything said to him. Maybe his face said it all now. The hopelessness he felt surfacing to paint it clearly on bruised cheeks, to stretch the J tightly in a frown.

"Tim come on," Bruce was shifting off the bed, ushering all the boys out of the room. Alfred came in later. Washing his arms, and chest around the countless bruises from the blunt weapons. He barely could stay awake, wishing to say a couple kind things to Alfred for taking care of him. The days passed without entire clarity. Bruce read to him right before patrol a few nights. Which was his favorite pass time. They didn't talk about the city, about what they were working on while he was trapped in the bed. His family didn't bring up the Joker-- or the fate of any of those goons. It was like he hadn't ever been The Red Hood. His district was probably in disarray. All those crime bosses stepping in to take up his turf since he was missing. Word probably came out that the Red Hood had killed the Joker, and Jason got it-- blowing on those rumors like hot ash in a fire. It would spread, and when he returned he'd set it all right. He would return right?

Jason rested. He healed best he could. Damian one day came in while Jason was stretching his muscles. Trying to get them moving better from being cramped in bed for over two months. He was holding two decks of 'Magic of the Gathering' cards, and looking frustrated as ever.

"Your stupid friend Roy stopped by and said you know how to play this insufferable game, said I'd not be able to figure it out!" He threw the decks at Jason's feet,

"I can show you if you like," came a quiet response, and after Damian helped Jason with some of his physical therapy stretches, they did play. It only took two games for Damian to get the hang of it, and Jason couldn't help but find a warmth of love for the one family member he never took the time to get to know better. It was funny in a way. That Bruce Wayne was known for all these children, and Damian was his actual son. But the lingering memory of Jason was what the public remembered, because he had been legally adopted. Batman didn't lose just a partner that day, but Bruce had lost his son in the publics eye. Jason carried that guilt. He wished he could have been a better son, he just never knew how too.

"Why do you do that?" Damian broke his train of thought, Jason's hazel eyes lifting up from the floor holding various card to notice the intense, judging might he add, gaze of the youngest Robin.

"Do what?"   
"Get into your head?"  
"I don't know-- coping mechanism I guess?"   
"Dick thinks you need therapy, but he says everyone needs it. Just how he copes maybe?"  
"I'm not sure what I'd say in there? Hey, names Jason Todd-- yes the kid that died surprise, I'm back from the dead. Surprisingly, twice now."

Damian smirked a knowing smile.

"Grandfather never liked you, but I think it's a bit foolish. You of any of them here seem more connected to me as a brother,"   
"Is that a compliment rugrat?"   
"What's a rugrat? Did you just insult me?"

Jason snorted, "it just means your short, but I am doing ten points of attack damage to that flying creature you put all your economy into,"   
"No your not," Damian played an instant blue card wiping the board of monsters. Jason really appreciated that Damian wanted to play when they both clearly were shit at such enjoyment. "And I won't be short forever--" Came a grumpy retort.

It would seem that Jason could be domestic. He could nest in the manor, forget the world existed. After three months, he was cooking with Alfred every morning for when the crew came back from patrol. Bruce had made a point to comment that Jason's pancakes were the best thing on earth much to Alfred's equal parts affronted shock and overwhelming pride for Jason. He worked out. Got his lung back up to working order since the bullet had pierced it in two places. He kissed Tim goodbye when he had on his Red Robin uniform, and he slept in the library covered in books on the sofa.

As the days passed. Jason found himself in a routine. Keeping up his training had been fun with Alfred while the house slept. If anything hurt too much he was there to evaluate and offer a different technique. Jason studied all the books and documents Bruce had on various science related items. He was smart in that area to begin with, though had preferred engineering like bomb making, or structural take downs. But it filled his time with equations and problems he desired to solve. He refused to go into the Batcave, or to work on any missions. But he often left Bruce notes about cases in red sticky notes. No one said anything.

"Are you in retirement at twenty...or are you afraid to leave the house?" Dick had joked one night, but could hear the question was an honest one. Jason set down the first edition book. He's thought about it a lot. And knows he's not left the house since he was brought back. There was a fear in leaving what was here...knowing that once he decided to step through the front door that this calm reality would burst.

"I leave and I do what with my life? You want the Red Hood to return?" He responded right when Tim walked in.

"You can do anything really? Want to be a cop? You can come back with me to Bludhaven-- I'll rejoin the force with you if you wanted," Dick offered, and he knew this was a goodbye. Dick Grayson never stayed in town long, and he knew he'd be heading to San Fransisco to rejoin up with the Titans unless Jason wanted something different. It was a really sweet gesture-- but no. He could handle only so much of the bigbird.

"And wear an ugly uniform? Pass--" he chuckled, "plus when they do a physical on me they will see how fucked up I look. It will probably raise a lot of questions."

"I can just hack their systems..." Tim confidently suggested.

"I am not going anywhere," Jason interrupted before more ideas swam between them "I figured if I walk out that door it's straight to Blackgate for me."

The two grew quiet, Jason settled back onto the couch. Pulling up his book.

"You don't mean that--" Tim asked quickly before Jason could fully ignore them.

"Why wouldn't I? It's been months, no one has said a damn thing about what happened. I should turn myself in to Harvey-- he'd have a field day,"

And they still didn't say more. It was an elephant in the room, and it sparked old anger in Jason. It was all the proof he needed. That once this mirage faded he'd be facing a sentence. Dick slipped into his space, wrapping a large hug around his shoulders awkwardly pinning the book to his face from the forced motions. He was squeezed so tight he felt his body's old injuries scream in protest-- it was really nice.

"I'll see you around," Dick said instead of goodbye. "And you aren't going anywhere." Dick left quickly with a bounce in his step and a playful holler for Alfred. Tim settled right on his stomach, situating his legs on either side of his hips and tucked his elbows into his shoulders to both pin him down and stare at his beautiful eyes.

"We didn't know if you wanted to talk about it," Tim admitted, unbuttoning the soft silk shirt Jason had on, opening slowly to thread his fingers over skin to expose all the new scars. Jason hated to admit he was self conscious now. Never had the need to before, sometimes it was a thrill to see a mark across his skin forever. A permanent reminder that he kicked major ass. But the crowbar and weapons had been brutal this last go-- and with no Pit to erase everything they were ugly on his arms the worse from blocking. Raised, and twisted to tell a violent story that happened long ago-- and recently. And the brand...

Jason closed his eyes. Enjoying the weight on him, the pressing of hands on his chest-- and the knowing demand that Tim took without many words.

"Bruce always told me if I crossed the line again I'd be done. Then he let me have the outlaws and we killed-- it was easy. Superman shows up and says the only damn reason the Justice League isn't finding me is that Batman vouched for me. And then this..." Tim hummed, and shrugged sending his longer hair to dance and tickle along Jason's jaw. "I just don't know what I want." That admittance was the hardest. He claimed on overdrive that he could always be that person Batman couldn't be. Go those places he couldn't go. Be that awful feared person Batman probably should take on but really can not. Being the Red Hood had a lot of baggage but he could do good things too right?

"Joker's dead. You killed four of his goons, they bled out--" Tim kissed his jaw, then the brand on his cheek, then up towards the mostly hidden scar on his head. Wrapping both hands around his middle. Hugging his ribs to the point it was almost ticklish. Jason opened his eyes. Taking in the smirk a breath away and felt for the first time guilt he had done it. Killed the Joker like that. Tim didn't kiss him like he wanted, instead ducked down to brush one to the bullet hole puckered scar on his side, dragging the edge of his bottom lip towards another. Jason felt a warmth pool in his gut, not in arousal but equal parts shame and need. He made to move but Tim's grip around his middle tightened enough to lock him still, his legs now situated perfectly on his thighs to demand control, and Jason's heart thundered over it. He wanted to throw him. Lift his hands and choke...maim. But as those killing instincts surfaced so did that encompassing love he always had but never entirely let settle over his mind, body, and soul.

"We realized your white blood cells were attacking the drug at an alarming rate. It's why your tests were off before. I had been right to think it was reacting different," Tim lifted up enough to carefully take his left arm out, sweeping the silk over his muscles until the cold of the large room hit his skin. He just watched. Letting his other be gently taken out of his clothes, shivering not from the temperature but in that Tim was telling him what he realized he didn't want to hear. Lips once more brushed under his tricep to distract, fingers trailed lower. Hooking on his belt to tug gently and it was then Jason's breath hitched in other ways. Wanting a real kiss so he could stop him from talking.

"The tests you ran on the drug, I collected from the computer. They were all we needed, you worked it perfectly. Paired with your blood samples Bruce managed to still have on file and the ones we took when you were down. We made an antidote to counter the effects of the drug based on the comparison by the nights end. It removed the hallucinations, and let all those people affected ride out the drug as a whole without losing it entirely," Tim sat up, reaching back to lift Jason's legs so he could lean against his thighs. He hooked his one arm across the back of the couch. Leaning his head against his forearm so he could keep looking at Jason who realized Tim was in a suit-- completely wrinkled now, but he looked amazing. Put together, and bright. So terribly bright in that Robin way they all shared. Jason's heart ached.

"We hadn't been able to stop all the subway carts. My attention was taken entirely way to save you. It took us weeks to hunt down the goons that still had the drug on them. But we did. With the Joker dead everything fell apart on it's own," Tim finished, and yet Jason didn't feel satisfied.

"Why are you smiling?" Jason asked, Tim's gaze lingered down his body. A gentle worry to his lip indenting the skin flush around his sweet smile.

"Because you are beautiful,"   
"That isn't what I asked," Jason half growled, and also released breathless. Who says these things?! Tim rolled his baby blues.

"You might have killed him-- but at the end of it. We all came to terms that we wanted you too... but at the cost of losing you? It wasn't a good trade," Tim admitted, Jason still hadn't made to touch Tim in anyway. His hands pinned to the sides while the weight on his hips somehow kept him anchored over enticing desires.

"Do they know about my head?" He asked, and Tim looked mischievous then.

"Joker had cracked your skull pretty bad, but we were able to operate. It's why you couldn't do much for awhile. Brain surgery is no joke," Jason's chest pounded. Months of time had passed by and no one talked to him about any of this. Not that they were to blame. Jason had made no demands to know. He had been the one to just pretend it was all another day to fuel the assumption. And it seemed Tim's confidence was standing strong in that decision. Jason understood why. He was always mad. Anger a spark that could ignite a gas station. But now. Recovered for the most part-- the news didn't affect him as violently. He was going to be okay. No more seeing things, or painful headaches. No tumor. No Joker. A calm washed over him instead. Eyes growing distant before Tim's fingers tucked under his chin, and brought his mouth to his own. Slotting them perfectly in knowing ways to drag out a sweet, mind numbing kiss to pause his ever consuming thoughts. A whimper broke past his parted lips when Tim slipped away enough to look him in the eye. Jason realize Tim looked happy. Content even. Did he too?

"You do not have to be anything or anyone but Jason Todd now," Tim's words struck louder than expected. And Jason didn't know what that meant. A laugh broke out of Tim, and Jason fell in love all over.

"What I'm saying mister brooding, is that you can 'retire' if that's what you want. Or you can be the Red Hood. Or you can marry me and be my housewife here in the manor- or we can get a house. I want a cat or two, and we should send you to cooking school cause your food is so delicious," Tim rambled on jokingly, and Jason found happiness consume his chest. Even though it was obvious he always could be anyone it hadn't ever been spoken out loud. Never offered in choice without guilt attached. He didn't know what he wanted. But he did want to be happy. For once.

"I love you," Jason found his voice, and Tim dared to roll his eyes. Fondness breaking like a sunrise.

"I love you too. Now up, I want to kiss you everywhere," Tim moved up off the couch, offering his hand, and another Robin smirk. Jason slipped the book to the floor, wrapping his palm to his. What did he want? He didn't know. But he wouldn't be alone in deciding for once.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be an epilogue :) if you have any needs like cooking!jason, domestic!jason, or whatever 100 'wrap Jason up in a blanket and let him be happy' situations you need. Or even smut XD just leave me a comment. I'll be writing this tomorrow most likely!


	11. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this story! Here is a little smut and fluffy things in between as a thank you epilogue. I am participating in the JayTim Secret Santa for December and IM PUMPED! I can't wait to write something very special for someone. Cheers! Cas

Mornings had always been a favorite of Jason's. It was a confirmation he had made it through the night. That those who couldn't get into trouble because of him wouldn't risk the light. Watching the sunrise as Red Hood when he had been alone had given him a sense of power. Looking upon his district in Gotham with a finger lifted, a shadow cut across the last blankets of night in victory.

Two years they have been away. MIT had begged for Tim to wrap up his master thesis on the nano bot technology, which he did before his twentieth birthday. Ever the proof of his genius, Tim had job offers stacked up from government agencies all over the world. The patents alone would bring Tim to a millionaire status before his twenty-fifth birthday, and yet he desired to come home and work at Wayne Enterprises when Jason finished school. He had two more years, and Tim was happily content helping Bruce out of their apartment from his big computer.

Tim had pulled some strings to also get Jason in since he was legally dead and all that-- but that didn't mean he didn't worked his ass off once he was accepted into MIT of all places. Jason found he liked collage and being surrounded by like minded people who weren't all set on asking him probing questions that would ruin everything was a plus. They stayed away about his personal life for the most part which let him lay some trusting roots in the city. People asked about the brand on his cheek, and sometimes talked about his scars. He stuck with the story that he got them while living on the streets until he turned his life around. Most people liked a redemption story so it kept them pacified. Jason still went out every once in a while to patrol, worked out and continued all his training, but he found more reason to stay inside. Most of those reasons being Tim and their side projects making weapons for Bruce to play with. Or breaking into the labs to help crack a case with one of MIT's equipments.

Red Hood and Red Robin could be a little bit of a menace in Boston.

Right now though, it was raining softly. Keeping the sun dull in its attempt to burn up the clouds causing it. Jason had his large hands wrapped around Tim's forearm. Draped protectively across his chest had Jason entranced. Eyes distant on the droplets falling heavy down the panels. Matching the sweat caught along his forehead, and quiver of pleasure to his bottom lip. Tim's mouth worried a bruise into his back shoulder, tongue lapping the skin as he held still, hips and chest enveloped against Jason's back. Demanding a moan when he ground down just right...and damn if he released one. A throaty sound that arched his spine against Tim's chest. His hand slipped back to wrap through long strands, to change how it all felt. Breaking a needy whimper as Tim took advantage of the changed angle to go deeper. A slide of his foot up caught Jason's calf, Tim panting desperately against his skin.

Lazy sleep in mornings were Jason's favorite. With Tim waking him up with coffee tasting on his tongue from having been up for hours already. Jason was easily manipulated in the morning. Tim took advantage often. Slipping soft cloth around his wrists to pin him down, or turning him over so his lover could remap scars and once more kiss them all. Tell Jason over and over that he was beautiful while he laid there half a sleep and warm-- happy.

Tim's wodds ghosted quickly against Jason's cheek, "you okay?" Jason had grown quiet, the little trails of water making him feel darker things than he wanted in the morning. Because this was suppose to be his favorite time of day. To get out of bed feeling rejuvenated, leap into school work with a coffee and decent attitude. But they were leaving today. Going back to Gotham.

"I don't know," he admitted truthfully. Tim shifted around, the loss of shared contact enacting a regretful shiver to rake his arms in goosebumps. The now cooling lube on his skin made him feel uncomfortable, but Tim hadn't left. Just moved about so he could face him. Pushing Jason on his back,

"Hey-- its okay to have a bad day. You haven't had one in a while," Tim kissed his chest, seeking fingers moving lower to keep Jason loose. He responded with a full body shudder. Knowing his head was trying to ruin their fun. He didn't want it too.

"Don't stop," he released breathlessly, Tim met his mouth now that they were facing each other. Their kiss was fierce over gentle, Tim always unable to control himself when Jason was opened up and vulnerable. He blew Jason's mind, a tightened grip into his hair turning him upward so Tim could angle them better. Slipping his tongue determined to fill all of Jason's mouth. He panted. Groaned in his throat for more, but Tim pulled away. Never appearing smug at the debouched mess he could leave Jason regardless of position in bed. He always looked like he simply loved him and how that was why it did things to Jason. Made his chest ache and his heart thunder.

"Love you," Tim said in a way that made Jason worry he said things out loud. Lifting his legs, Tim situated himself. The ache returning from the rushed pressure and fill his body was begging for. Tim never lingered to tease once they were back together, his movement perfect and calculated to get them to where he wanted them to be. Jason could get lost in watching Tim lose it. In the sounds of skin hitting skin, how his body sang when he was brought to the very edge to the perfect intensity. Every muscle along his chest screamed in protest, Tim seemingly distracted by his body. Resting a palm down his chest, and gripped tightly around his ribs. Jason was enamored with how Tim's long hair dampened along his freckled skin, the crystalline hue of his eyes beyond brighter than the moon.

"You're starring," Tim grunted out, "am I not satisfying you enough to distract you?" Came a sarcastic retort and a strong hand around his dick. Jason jumped at the contact, but he could only worry his lip to barely hold back the rushed heat now pooling in his gut and his ears for being caught. Jason leaned up to consume them into a deep, mind blowing kiss. Tim driving forward to bring them both to a groaned end. Jason chased the sounds released from Tim falling apart, himself dropping backwards against the pillow. Overwhelmed from the slick slide, and rough pressure of Tim's hand until he came with a shout on his lips.

Jason lit a cigarette. Tim was leaving a hicky near his collarbone, still wanting to be in Jason's space. Lithe fingers gripped around his hips, trailing over spent muscles and dragged a cloth through the mess over his lower abs. Jason was still watching the rain. Inhaling the smoke, and blowing it calmly to haze the room in it's on fog.

"Jay," Tim hummed, grinding his pelvis against this thigh in a rut to get his full attention. Jason chuckled, turning his face to look at the smirk meeting his sights. Flush cheeks were a good look on Tim.

"Yes babe," Tim rolled his eyes.  
"We don't have to go," Jason tensed.  
"I know, but I want to tell them. Alfred will be excited. I just--"  
"Don't want to see Bruce?"

Jason swallowed the rancid taste that came up this throat.

"No. Working with him over the computer is easy. Working with Batman is easier still. Being-- back in the manor...after all that happened. I feel like I don't deserve it,"

"It's Thanksgiving. It's been two years. Aren't you a little excited to tell them we're getting married?"

"It's not that at all," Jason frowned, realizing his fears were very irrational. "No shame just, you know how my head gets."

"I do," Tim hugged him, situating to his side and resting his head on his chest. They both looked out the window now, Tim stealing Jason's cigarette to enjoy the final seconds of their sex with a burn to his lungs and the rush of nicotine he only indulged in with these moments.

"After you finish school-- we'll be back home," Tim said quietly, "do you hate that I want to?"

"Not at all-- I have a lot of ideas for the batcave..."

"Oh--" Tim interrupted, leaning back to tug the small chain on the light since the weather had it still dark in the room. "Are you scared your aren't going to want to leave if we go back?"

Tim was too smart for his own good. Jason stole back his smoke, covering his eyes with the back of his hand, "yeh maybe babybird."

"That's really sweet,"

Jason shoved him sideways, setting the spent filter into an ash tray before he turned completely. He was sore. But a little pain never bothered him much anymore. Tim's amusement was blinding, making Jason feel a little self conscious. The warm light made Jason want to devour his fiancé up. 

"Should we show up suited up?" Tim joked, Jason rutted into Tim's inner thigh, large hands cupping his ass and bringing him under his weight. Tim tucked Jason's hair from his face, raising a challenging brow that Jason couldn't miss. Forever trailing fingers over his cheek.

"Maybe we could--no helmet though. I want to kiss you freely," he bit his nipple, Tim stiffeled back a moan and gripped Jason's hair.

"I'm too sensitive. No teeth--"   
"Red Hood does what he wants,"  
"If we're talking in third person-- then Red Robin can kick his ass-"  
"Do my ass you mean--"

Tim palmed his face, "you ruin the mood every time. What would you do if I wasn't here to pick up these pieces."

Jason thought about that every damn day. He reached up and threaded their hands, both of them wearing a ring already because maybe hey got very excited about having a wedding and being married one night. Tim could put it through the state without the ceremony, but he knew if the news caught on that one of Bruce's wards got married and was going to take over a new division at Wayne Enterprises all while not being in Gotham would stir a lot of attention.

So they were going to go about it right. Tell the family. Have a small ceremony over the holidays if all goes to plan. Jason was sure he'd be a right mess if he was honest. Happiness was still a new feeling for the Red Hood. 

"We'll be the first married in the family you realize," Jason kissed him sweetly, "god I want you right now."

"You have me forever--"  
"And you say I ruin the moments, you make them sappy and cute."  
"I just speak truths," Tim relaxed so Jason could slide slick fingers inside of him, tilting his neck to the side so Jason could mouth his pulse. It was lazy, neither of them fully aroused. Jason took advantage to bring his mouth a hair from Tim's. Nipping lightly at his lips. 

"How much time do we have?"  
"Eight hours Jay,"  
"Good--" 

 


End file.
